Updated

Updated · Fox News · May 27

Kevin Hart Defends George Floyd Roast Joke 6 Years After Killing, Calling It Standard Roast Humor

Updated

Updated · Fox News · May 27

Kevin Hart Defends George Floyd Roast Joke 6 Years After Killing, Calling It Standard Roast Humor

Q: Is Kevin Hart responsible for a comedian's joke, or is he an unfair target in the controversy?

Kevin Hart is not directly responsible for Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke, but as the roast’s subject and a producer, he was always likely to face some scrutiny over the environment in which it was delivered. The clearest fact is that Hart did not write or say the line. He has argued that roast comedy is built around boundary-pushing material and that performers are responsible for their own sets. That defense is supported by the format itself: roasts routinely feature harsh racial, sexual and personal jokes, and several comedians, including Nikki Glaser, noted that “all bets are off” is part of the genre, even if some jokes fail or feel offensive. At the same time, critics have a reasonable basis for questioning Hart’s role. He was not just a bystander; he was central to the production and had a public connection to George Floyd’s family and memorial. Terrence Floyd’s criticism rests less on authorship than on judgment: whether Hart should have publicly distanced himself more forcefully or intervened afterward. The strongest fair reading is that Hart bears indirect responsibility for the overall tone of an event he helped lead, but not personal responsibility for another comedian’s exact words. The backlash toward Hinchcliffe is more directly tied to the joke itself. The criticism of Hart is really about leadership and response, not authorship.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 27

Hart said on "The Breakfast Club" that Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd line was "not tasteful" but fit the point of a roast, adding Hinchcliffe "arguably had the best set."
The joke implied Floyd was watching from hell and "laughing so hard he can’t breathe," one of several taboo lines at Netflix’s roast that also drew backlash over a Charlie Kirk death joke.
Hart rejected calls to take responsibility for a joke he did not tell, saying he would not stop a live roast and that offensive material is expected in that format.
He said he attended Floyd’s 2020 funeral and later had a reconciliatory conversation with Stephen Jackson, while still pushing back on demands to publicly prove his concern.
The dispute extends a backlash already fueled by criticism from Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd and comedian Chelsea Handler, underscoring how Floyd’s death remains politically and culturally sensitive 6 years later.