George Floyd’s family blasts Kevin Hart, Tony Hinchcliffe over Netflix roast joke

The family of George Floyd is condemning comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and actor Kevin Hart after a joke made at Floyd’s expense during Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” drew backlash this week.

The special aired Sunday as part of the “Netflix Is a Joke” comedy festival at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. During his set, Mr. Hinchcliffe addressed Mr. Hart directly, saying, “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.” 

The remark drew audible gasps from the audience and ignited immediate backlash online, with critics calling it racist and in poor taste. 

Travis Cains, a spokesman for the Gianna and George Floyd Foundation, told TMZ that Hart condoning Hinchcliffe’s joke is “sad for the culture.” The family also accused Mr. Hart of allegedly giving Mr. Hinchcliffe the green light to include the bit, and said Mr. Hart should have told the comedian to steer clear of the topic altogether.

Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, is now 12 years old — she was only 6 when her father died — and the foundation said she has been bullied in school, with the relentless public mockery of her father’s death making things worse. 

The foundation also raised questions about why Mr. Hinchcliffe, whom the family called a “racist comedian,” was invited back for another Netflix roast. During the 2024 “Roast of Tom Brady,” Mr. Hinchcliffe quipped that NFL player Rob Gronkowski “looked like the final boss in George Floyd the video game.”

“We are trying to rebuild things for our community and make things better in our community,” the Gianna and George Floyd Foundation said. “Let’s try to be a little bit more positive — and not sit up there doing colon inspections by white comedians.” 

Mr. Hart brushed aside the criticism the following day on Instagram, praising nearly everyone involved in the special — including Mr. Hinchcliffe, whom he described as “relentless but funny” — and defending the anything-goes nature of roast comedy.

Activist Tamika Mallory also slammed Mr. Hinchcliffe’s joke on Instagram, writing that there is “literally NOTHING funny” about how Floyd was murdered and calling it “disgusting” that Mr. Hart laughed along. 

The roast featured 17 writers, some of whom were Black, including Harry Ratchford, Chris Spencer and Joey Wells, according to Entertainment Weekly. The special’s lineup included Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tom Brady, Pete Davidson, Chelsea Handler, Lizzo, Katt Williams, Draymond Green and Sheryl Underwood, among others, with Shane Gillis serving as host.