Actress Tiffany Haddish is one of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2026 cover models. It was revealed alongside other movie stars on Tuesday, May 12, across newsfeeds worldwide. The “Girls Trip” actress says her appearance on the cover of the annual swimsuit issue fulfills a dream she first imagined as a young athlete.
“When I used to do track and field, I thought I would be on the cover because I would be the highest jumper of all time,” Haddish told People. “It was always in the back of my mind.”
Haddish’s ambition faded when she tore both menisci. It occurred while filming the 2019 comedy special, Black Mitzvah. The injury led to weight gain and uncertainty about her physical future.
Haddish said her perspective changed after she began working with Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner. “He said he could help me heal my knees and get me back into shape,” she said. “Then it was like, ‘Wait a minute, I could be a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model.’”
Actress Tiffany Haddish Makes Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2026 Cover
Photographer James Macari captured Haddish in Loreto wearing an orange-and-yellow bikini. Preparing for the shoot, Haddish has been sharing updates with fans about Girls Trip 2.
The shoot was not without challenges. Haddish said she scraped her knees on lava rocks and joked about battling the ocean and an unpredictable swimsuit. “My nipples wanted to be in the photo shoot so bad,” she said.
Haddish described the experience as affirming. “It made me so proud of me,” she said.
On set, she repeated encouraging words to herself: “I’m some kind of goddess. I can touch the sun.”
Haddish hopes the cover resonates with readers who are navigating their own reinventions. “I hope that they take away that you can transform,” she said. “I can be a swimsuit model and be over 30.”
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