Sheryl Underwood says ‘people should be upset’ over Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis roast jokes

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sheryl Underwood has backed the public backlash over jokes made by Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis during the Netflix roast of Kevin Hart, saying audiences had valid reasons to react strongly.

The 62-year-old comedian was also part of the Netflix special that premiered on May 10, where Hinchcliffe and Gillis made controversial jokes involving George Floyd lynching references, and personal remarks about Underwood’s late husband, Michael Sparkman.

Sheryl Underwood backs backlash over Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis Netflix roast jokes

Now on Thursday, May 21, Underwood spoke with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “I think people should be upset, like the George Floyd jokes, the bonsai tree jokes, things like that.”

Underwood directly addressed the comedians, adding, “I think people should be upset, like the George Floyd jokes, the bonsai tree jokes, things like that. I told Tony Hinchcliffe personally, ‘You gotta deal with the Floyd family — and they got hands.’”

Sheryl Underwood calls out tone of roasting in Netflix special

“You’re talking about someone’s relative. And not that the joke wasn’t well written, but would you say that in this generation of roasting and comics, they do stuff that most people would think are in poor taste but it still makes you laugh,” she added.

Underwood was referring to Hinchcliffe’s line during the May 10 special: “Right now George Floyd is looking at us all and laughing so hard that he can’t breathe.”

Shane Gillis also mocked Kevin Hart’s height, saying, “Kevin’s so short they’re going to have to lynch him from a bonsai tree.”

Sheryl Underwood says jokes about late husband were in poor taste

The set also included jokes about Underwood’s late husband, Michael Sparkman. Hinchcliffe said, “Her husband committed suicide three years into the marriage. I’ve been sitting next to her for two hours, and I have to ask: how did he last that long?”

Gillis also referenced it multiple times during his set.

Earlier, Underwood told Netflix Tudum that “a lot of people felt bad for me because they were talking about my husband’s suicide. But those jokes were written so well that they made me laugh. I believe the line is the intention of the comedian and the construction of the joke.”

However, she later told ET the material was “in poor taste.”

“I got a chance to talk to Tony Hinchcliffe and he told me where he was going, and then Shane Gillis called me and we talked about it. They came with respect but I didn’t know exactly what they were gonna say,” Underwood added, before saying, “Like when they talked to me about how they were coming at me, I said, ‘They better be funny.’”

Underwood’s comments came after Chelsea Handler also criticized Hinchcliffe and Gillis, calling their jokes inappropriate and labeling them “racists” and “bigots”.