Kevin Hart hits back at backlash over George Floyd joke at roast: 'I didn’t say it'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kevin Hart has clapped back at the critics after facing backlash over jokes made at Netflix‘s ‘Roast of Kevin Hart’, particularly those shared by Tony Hinchcliffe.
During the May 10 special, Hinchcliffe had reportedly mentioned George Floyd’s 2020 death. Addressing Hart, he said, “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.”
Hinchcliffe’s words did not impress many, as he was called out for dragging Floyd's tragic death. Now, Hart has addressed the controversy by appearing on ‘The Breakfast Club’ on Tuesday, May 26.
Kevin Hart says George Floyd's joke 'wasn’t a tasteful joke to our culture'
“Yeah, the George Floyd joke, it wasn’t a tasteful joke to our culture, to our audience, but our audience that’s watching the roast, if you’re watching the roast, you get why they’re doing it. You get why the racial humor is on the table,” the 46-year-old comedian said.
Hart, however, also noted that he was not “shocked. That’s what they do. Go look at [The Roast of] Tom Brady, like, that’s what they do. It happens every year when they do a roast. It’s not new.”
When the actor was asked if Hinchcliffe’s jokes went “too far,” he shared, “It’s Tony Hinchcliffe. I don’t expect less. I don’t expect more.”
Kevin Hart asserts he did not make fun of George Floyd or his family
Further in the interview, Hart noted that “Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets. Pete [Davidson] had a great set, too. Pete had a Charlie Kirk joke in it.”
But he also mentioned that he won’t make such jokes. “But do I get why they’re being told? Yes. I’m not looking at Pete crazy. I’m not looking at Tony. That’s what I know what you’re going to do. I know your style of comedy,” Hart explained.
The ‘Central Intelligence’ star also asked the audience to “remove me from it. I didn’t say it. If you are upset that the night went on, that’s a different conversation. It’s nothing I could do. It’s a production,” before asserting, “Stop talking as if I said it.. I didn’t disrespect [George Floyd] family.”
“I don’t f*****g need to prove to people that I give a f**k. If you open that door, then that’s what they will expect every time,” Hart added.
George Floyd's brother blasts Kevin Hart for not stopping Hinchcliffe’s joke
His response came after Floyd’s brother, Terrence, slammed Hinchcliffe and Hart.
He reportedly said, “It’s totally disrespectful,” before holding the producers and Netflix responsible for it. Terrence then went on to say that Hart should have stopped Hinchcliffe's joke "right then and there”, as he added, “I feel like it should have had not the Will Smith action, but the Will Smith energy.”
