Additional Coverage:
- Kevin Hart ‘didn’t like’ Netflix roast’s George Floyd joke but refuses to ‘blame’ himself (themirror.com)
Kevin Hart has finally addressed the controversy surrounding a Netflix roast that sparked outrage due to a shocking joke about George Floyd. The comedy event, which aired earlier this year, featured notable performers like Lizzo, Regina Hall, Pete Davidson, and Sheryl Underwood roasting Hart.
The backlash centered on a comment by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referenced Floyd’s tragic 2020 death with a biting quip: “The Black community is so proud of you… right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe.” The remark left viewers and fellow celebrities stunned.
Speaking on the Breakfast Show on May 26, Hart described the joke as “distasteful” but said he wasn’t surprised. “If you’re watching the roast, you get why they’re doing it,” he explained.
“You get why the racial humor is on the table. That’s what they do.
It happens every year at these roasts. It’s not new.”
When asked if Hinchcliffe went too far, Hart replied, “It’s Tony Hinchcliffe. I don’t expect less.
I don’t expect more.” He emphasized that the roast format often involves pushing boundaries.
Show host Charlamagne offered his take, admitting discomfort with jokes about violent tragedies but suggesting that crossing lines is part of the roast’s intention. Hart agreed, noting that while the George Floyd joke was in poor taste, Hinchcliffe delivered one of the best sets of the night. He added that other comics, like Pete Davidson, also took risks with their material, and though Hart might not personally tell those jokes, he understood their context.
Hart urged audiences not to hold him accountable for the controversial jokes. “Remove me from it.
I didn’t say it,” he stated. “It’s a production.
It’s a live production… Stop talking as if I said it.”
However, not everyone shared Hart’s stance. Chelsea Handler called out Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis for what she described as “racist,” “bigoted,” and “sexist” remarks, saying on the Funny Knowing You podcast, “It was gross. You can go for it without being gross.”
Marlon Wayans also weighed in, highlighting the delicate balance required when joking about sensitive subjects. “If you take it there, you better make sure the laugh is worth the offense,” he told Hollywood Unlocked.
“That laugh didn’t hit. It just wasn’t funny enough, and in this case, it’s too sensitive.”
Wayans concluded that the true test of such humor is whether the affected family finds it acceptable. “If George Floyd’s family laughs, you did the right joke,” he said. “If you go there, you better come out with some laughs, and his mother better be laughing the hardest.”
The roast controversy continues to spark debate over the limits of comedy and respect for sensitive topics.