In a new interview with GQ, Tiffany Haddish dished some wild details of a night when Beyoncé was bitten by another actress. In a less thrilling, but just as newsworthy section of the interview, the comedian shared some details about an age-old, controversial health remedy. The Girls Trip star explained that she uses turpentine, an oil that comes from trees and is most frequently found in paint, to cure different everyday ailments.
Here's the excerpt from the piece:
“A teaspoon of turpentine will not kill you,” says Haddish with the breezy confidence of an unlicensed doctor. “The government doesn't want you to know that if you have a cold, just take some turpentine with some sugar or castor oil or honey and it'll go away the next day.”
Several people online decided to attack Haddish for her use of turpentine, which is considered poisonous, but others came to her defense arguing that the comedian's use of turpentine should have been better contextualized given Haddish's roots and upbringing. It's also important to note the distrust communities of color often have of the medical community for a variety of reasons.
One user pointed out that perhaps Haddish was referring to turpentine oil instead of straight turpentine.
Another person cited the historic use of turpentine, particularly in rural black communities, and its existence today in things like vapor rub.
