Kevin Hart recently opened up about Tony Hinchcliffe's controversial joke about George Floyd during the Netflix Roast of Kevin Hart, acknowledging that he "wasn't shocked" by the remark. Reflecting on the intense backlash, the 46-year-old star spoke candidly about the outspoken comedian's jab referencing Floyd, who was tragically murdered by police in 2020.
In an interview with Hart, Hinchliffe 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." In response to this joke on The Breakfast Club podcast, Hart admitted, "Yeah, the George Floyd joke, it wasn't a tasteful joke to our culture, to our audience. But if you're watching the roast, you get why they're doing it."
Hart explained that the racial humor was part of the roast tradition and wasn't new. He compared it to similar jokes made during previous roasts, such as The Roast of Tom Brady. However, Floyd's brother Terrence has been critical of Hart for not intervening after the joke, stating previously that he should have pushed back more.
When asked if he thought Hinchcliffe's joke about Floyd was "too far," Hart replied, "It's Tony Hinchcliffe. I don't expect less. I don't expect more." While the actor admitted that he wouldn't have chosen that material himself, he wasn't "crazy" about the jokes.
Hart added, "Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets. Pete [Davidson] had a great set too, with a Charlie Kirk joke in it." He continued, "Like, would I tell those jokes? No. But do I get why they're being told? Yes. I'm not looking at Pete or Tony crazy. That's what I know you're going to do. I know your style of comedy."
Furthermore, Kevin Hart has called on fans to "remove" him from the conversation around the offensive material. He said, "Whatever the dialogue is, my rebuttal is simple: 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 not something I could do. It’s a production... Stop talking as if I said it."
