Tiffany Haddish paused a recent stand-up set to embrace the woman she said changed her life.

According to reports, the woman spoke out from the crowd as Haddish performed, and shockingly, it was her former social worker. When Haddish realized, she stopped the show, had the lights go up, and walked into the audience to hug her.

“You saved my life. I’m where I’m at right now because of you,” Haddish told the woman onstage. The comedian credited the social worker — identified as Coleta Lewis — with steering her away from trouble as a teen and encouraging her to enroll in comedy camp, a decision Haddish says set her on the path to comedy. 

Haddish tearfully told Lewis, “You encouraged me, you were one of the first people to believe in me. Thank you. I love you."

An emotional Haddish then stopped to tell the audience, “Coleta was my second social worker and [in school] … I used to get in trouble y'all, talking too much and s—, and she was like, ‘You got two choices this summer, you can go to the Laugh Factory Comedy camp or psychiatric therapy…,” she said.

“And I was winning all those drama festivals and I said, ‘Which one got drugs?’ And you said, ‘You won’t be on drugs, you’re going to therapy,’ ” Haddish addressed Lewis. “…So I went to the comedy camp… that changed my whole life.”

The reunion came at a divine time for Haddish. She’d posted that she’d been contemplating stepping away from stand-up and had been “praying for a sign.” Lewis’ surprise appearance felt like that sign for Haddish. 

Haddish has long spoken publicly about the role mentors and early supporters played in her life and this reunion uncovered that gratitude in real time. Lewis not only guided Haddish to comedy in Haddish’s high school years, but her surprise appearance also confirmed that Haddish should continue her comedy path now. Wow, talk about a full circle moment!