Kevin Hart delivered a powerhouse opening monologue at the 2025 BET Awards, packing the Peacock Theater with laughter and wit on Monday, June 9. The comedian took aim at high-profile figures such as Kanye West, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Cardi B, setting the tone for an evening filled with surprises.
Hart, 45, announced with a chuckle that he was "shutting down all afterparties" following the awards ceremony. "Take your butts home after this; that's precisely why I scheduled this on a Monday," he joked, adding, "People have work to do tomorrow."
Referencing Diddy's alleged sex parties notorious for their liberal use of baby oil, Hart quipped, "That's where things get really slippery, at those infernal afterparties. We're learning so much about people, aren't we?" Diddy, 55, is currently entangled in a legal battle, facing sex crime charges alongside allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution.
Hart then cracked a joke about arranging self-driving Waymo cars to ferry the audience home safely, with no option to "bribe" the non-existent drivers. "No yachts, no boats. Cardi B, no pink substances. Absolutely none of that nonsense. Everyone's getting a ride tonight. We're live, and it's going to be epic," he quipped.
The mention of Cardi B, 32, led seamlessly into a reference to her boyfriend, Stefon Diggs, who is under investigation after a viral video showed him with a pink, crystallized substance aboard a yacht. Though Cardi wasn't featured in the viral clip of the New England Patriots star, she was visible in other social media footage from the yacht's festivities.
As his monologue progressed, Hart worked in a jest about West, 48, inspired by the recent movie "Sinners." Pretending to check a text message on his phone, Hart exclaimed, "Oh no, it's Kanye!" He continued, "Yeah, he says he's outside, waiting for someone to let him in." Hart then playfully warned, "We all saw 'Sinners,' so don't let him in here to start any fights, like he did with Playboi Carti. Okay?"
"Nobody lets Kanye in, no way! Not tonight!" he shouted emphatically.
Earlier in February 2025, West made a brief appearance on the Grammys red carpet with his wife Bianca Censori, posing for photos before departing. Days later, West defending Diddy in an antisemitic-laden online tirade, leading to his swift dismissal by his talent agency and temporary deactivation of his X account.
Broadcasting live from Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, the BET Awards promised an unforgettable night filled with music, glamor, and Hart's signature humor.
