Comedian Aries Spears is finally speaking up about the ongoing legal battle he's facing alongside actress Tiffany Haddish on charges of child abuse.
The lawsuit was filed by two siblings, identified only as Jane and John Doe, alleging that Spears and Haddish coerced them to take part in sexually explicit skits several years ago.
Spears, 47, took to his Spears & Steinberg podcast to break his silence.
"Listen, obviously for legal reasons, I really can't talk about anything at this time," he told co-host Andy Steinberg. "But I just more or less want to say to all the loyal listeners, thank you guys for your support and your love. Listen: This is an extortion case."
Spears' comments echo that of the legal teams representing him and his co-defendant Haddish. Attorneys for the pair have said that the siblings' mother, an alleged family friend of the Girls' Trip actress, has filed against the pair several times in a "shakedown" attempt.
"[The] plaintiff's mother...has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years," Andrew Brettler, attorney for the actress-comedienne, said. "Every attorney who has initially taken on her case—and there were several—ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless, and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down."
Haddish Speaks On Lawsuit, Expresses Regret Over Skit
Though her legal team and fellow comedian Spears painted the suit as a shakedown, the Tuca & Bertie actress expressed regret for the sketches, which the siblings say "stole the youth of a 7-year-old child and a 14-year-old child." John and Jane Doe are now 14 and 22, respectively.
"I know people have a bunch of questions. I get it. I'm right there with you. Unfortunately, because there is an ongoing legal case, there's very little that I can say right now," Haddish wrote on Instagram.
"But clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasn't funny at all—and I deeply regret having agreed to act in it. I really look forward to being able to share a lot more about this situation as soon as I can."
Haddish added that she was relieved that the sketches and resultant lawsuits had "finally come to fruition," noting that she was tired of being "extorted" over the explicit sketches.
Both Haddish and Spears are accused of gross negligence, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse of a minor.