This 90-year-old homeless woman befriended Hollywood stars, and it changed her life
Marie Haist, who goes by Mimi, called the streets her home until she was invited to stay in a laundromat by its owner on a rainy night. She stayed there for another 20 years, ABC's Los Angeles affiliate, ABC 7, reported.
During that time, the 90-year-old began making friends with patrons and helping out around the laundromat. That's how she met "Baskets" star and "Between Two Ferns" creator Zach Galifianakis. Suddenly, she found herself at the "Hangover Part III" premiere as his date.
"Mimi has changed my life since I met her, the appreciation that I have for the elderly and people who need some help," Galifianakis said.
She also befriended actor and filmmaker Yaniv Rokah, who has wanted to tell Haist's story for a while. On May 13, his documentary about her, "Queen Mimi," hits theaters.
"To me, Mimi represents so many things: hope, human spirit, strength, survival," Rokah said.
Life hasn't just become much more glamorous for Haist, but it has also become much more comfortable. She isn't homeless anymore, thanks to her famous friends.
"Zach [Galifianakis] got me an apartment," Haist told ABC with a laugh. "And Renee Zellweger furnished it."
Watch ABC7's segment on Haist below: