Kevin Hart reacts to George Floyd joke backlash during roast: It wasn’t ‘tasteful’
He also cited other jokes he wouldn't have done.
Liam Carter 
When it comes to the recent firestorm surrounding the Netflix “Roast of Kevin Hart,” the man of the hour has a simple message for critics: move on.
Hart Defends Roast Format
Kevin Hart recently spoke with The Breakfast Club to address the backlash regarding Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about George Floyd. While Hart admitted the bit wasn't “tasteful,” he pushed back against the intense scrutiny that followed the live broadcast.
“It wasn’t a tasteful joke to us. We didn’t like it. OK. ... We move on,” Hart said. “I don’t understand why we stand on a hill, and it becomes this big thing. It doesn’t have to be that. It literally is, either you’re a fan of this level of content or you’re not.”
Contextualizing the Comedy
Hinchcliffe’s set sparked outrage for referencing George Floyd, who was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020. Hinchcliffe quipped that Floyd was “looking up at us all, laughing so hard that he can’t breathe.”
Hart, who praised Hinchcliffe’s performance as one of the best of the night, also weighed in on Pete Davidson’s joke about the killing of Charlie Kirk. “Would I tell those jokes? No,” Hart explained. “But do I get why they’re being told? Yes. I know what you’re going to do. I know your style of comedy.”
Regarding the live nature of the event, Hart dismissed suggestions that he should have intervened. “I’m not compromising the live production for a reaction of what? What do you want me to do? I’m going to drag him off? You want me to fight afterwards? That’s not what I agreed to do.”
Other Voices Weigh In
Not everyone shares Hart’s perspective. Earlier this month, Chelsea Handler made headlines by calling out Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis, labeling them “bigots” for their remarks during the roast.
Speaking on Deon Cole’s podcast, Funny Knowing You, Handler expressed her frustration with the event, as reported by Variety. “It’s just everything we know: that they’re racist, that they’re bigots, that they’re sexist,” she stated. “That they think they’re invincible.”
