Kevin Hart is standing behind the comedian who sparked backlash at Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart,” defending Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke while acknowledging it wasn’t “tasteful.” The remarks come as social media criticism spreads over other shock
By the time Kevin Hart sat down on “The Breakfast Club,” the backlash around Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” had already spilled across social media.
The loudest storm focused on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. who faced criticism for a joke about George Floyd. killed in 2020 by former police officer Derek Chauvin. In the interview. Hart. 46. addressed how participants have been targeted for their material and argued the moment had been blown up far beyond what the live show required.
Hart said Hinchcliffe’s joke about Floyd wasn’t “tasteful,” but he also insisted he wasn’t “shocked.” He added that Hinchcliffe “arguably had the best set, or one of the best sets,” of the roast.
When asked about the backlash, Hart said, “It wasn’t a tasteful joke to us. We didn’t like it. OK. … We move on. 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. And if you’re not a fan, then you don’t watch it.”.
Hart also pointed to other shocking jokes made during the live production, including a joke from Pete Davidson about the killing of Charlie Kirk. He said he wouldn’t personally tell those jokes—then explained why he believes the audience is meant to expect this style.
“Would I tell those jokes? No. But do I get why they’re being told? Yes. I’m not looking at Pete crazy. I’m not looking at Tony crazy. I know what you’re going to do. I know your style of comedy.”
The criticism wasn’t limited to online reactions. George Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, had previously told “The Breakfast Club” host Loren LoRosa that Hart should have brought “Will Smith energy” by pushing back on Hinchcliffe’s joke “right then and there.”
In his own appearance, Hart pushed back on that framing, saying there was “nothing” he could have done in the moment. He emphasized that he was not the person who delivered the joke.
“It’s a live production,” Hart said. “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.”
Hart’s defense arrives alongside broader criticism aimed at other performers in the Netflix roast. “The Roast of Kevin Hart” was hosted by Shane Gillis. who also drew backlash for some of his material. including jokes about lynching and about the death of comedian Sheryl Underwood’s husband. Underwood was in the roast’s lineup.
Chelsea Handler, another participant, criticized the “gross” and “disgusting” jokes made at the event while appearing on the “Funny Knowing You” podcast. She singled out Gillis and Hinchcliffe.
“People are like, ‘It’s a roast. You go for it,’” Handler said. “I’m like, ‘You can go for it without being gross.’”
Nikki Glaser. who did not participate in Hart’s Netflix roast but has delivered shocking jokes at comedy roasts in the past. also weighed in separately. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the American Music Awards. Glaser said she “loved watching” the roast. but that “there was some stuff that I didn’t love. ” without naming names.
Glaser said she doesn’t believe “jokes can’t be made that are racist jokes, ironically racist jokes,” adding that “the problem is not that it’s racist. It’s that … if you really want to do a joke, you’ve got to find a way to make it make sense.”
In the hours after Hart’s remarks, the central disagreement stayed sharp: what a roast is supposed to be for, and what performers owe the people at the center of the jokes—especially in a live Netflix production where the moment does not pause for public reaction.
Kevin Hart Tony Hinchcliffe Netflix The Roast of Kevin Hart George Floyd joke Derek Chauvin comedy roast backlash The Breakfast Club Chelsea Handler Shane Gillis Pete Davidson Nikki Glaser