It’s been four days since Netflix released ‘The Roast of Kevin Hart‘ and the internet is still sounding off about it! Tony Hinchcliffe, in particular, is catching heat for what many are calling a tasteless joke referencing the death of George Floyd. And the backlash is coming from more than just fans and viewers! Celebrities like Tamika D. Mallory and Sukihana are voicing their disappointment. Floyd’s family and friends, including his brother, Terrence Floyd, and close friend, Stephen Jackson, are also speaking out.
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What Did Tony Hinchcliffe Say About George Floyd?
During his set, Hinchcliffe reportedly referenced the brutal death George suffered on May 25, 2020. On that day, Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes during an arrest in Minnesota, even as he repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. In 2021, a state court convicted him of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. His sentence was 22.5 years in prison, which he is serving concurrently with an additional 21-year sentence for pleading guilty to violating Floyd’s constitutional rights. His death launched a movement against police brutality, dubbed ‘Black Lives Matter.’
Still, despite that context, Tony Hinchcliffe used the horrendous death as a punchline, live on Netflix and Kevin Hart was cackling in response.
“The Black community is so proud of you right now. George Floyd is looking up at us all, laughing so hard that he can’t breathe,” Tony Hinchcliffe said.
Tony Hinchcliffe made a WILD George Floyd joke while roasting Kevin Hart 💀
“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.” pic.twitter.com/33T2anzhja
— Killa 🌺 (@KillaKreww) May 11, 2026
The George Floyd joke isn’t the only reason Tony Hinchcliffe is catching heat. He and Shane Gillis both made jokes about Sheryl Underwood’s husband, who died by suicide in 1990. Additionally, ‘The Kevin Hart Roast’ is reportedly the second roast at which Tony has cracked a George Floyd joke. He did the same thing in 2024 during Tom Brady’s roast, saying that Rob Gronkowski looks like “the final boss in George Floyd: The Video Game,” per the Star Tribune. So far, it doesn’t appear that Hinchcliffe has addressed the backlash over his recent or past controversial jokes, leaving critics to question whether he has a pattern.
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Recap Of Family, Friend & Celeb Reactions To Joke
Speaking with ‘The Breakfast Club’s Loren Lorosa, Terrence Floyd slammed Tony for presenting his brother’s death as comedy. He said Kevin Hart should’ve shut down the joke, especially given that he attended George Floyd’s funeral in Minnesota. “A lot of it just felt argh…it wasn’t tasteful,” he said. Terrence also shared that George Floyd’s daughter often has to deal with the fallout from controversies involving her father’s name, especially near his death anniversary.
“This is crazy. We’re upset but I’m focusing more on the well-being of my niece,” Terrence said.
Meanwhile, George Floyd’s close friend, Stephen Jackson, also addressed the joke via social media. The second time, he insisted that no one can tell someone else what to be offended by. “Everybody laughing…until it’s their family member that gets murdered, then it ain’t funny,” he said in a video. He called the behavior “clown sh*t,” adding that he traveled to 29 states, marching in his brother’s name in real-time and won’t be told how to react. In his caption, Jackson added:
“Forever gone ride for my brother. If u don’t like me nor respect my brother Unfollow is all u gotta do. I don’t give a f*ck. Respect it or Check it and nobody ain’t checking sh*t here. Wallahi. Your opinion don’t matter to me. Keep it. Ciabatta still come 1st on the month regardless 😂.”
Additionally, Sukihana took to social media with a video, expressing her disbelief that “a group of white colonizers” disrespected George Floyd and made a joke of his death. “I’m more appalled at the Black people that sat there and watched it and laughed. Nobody got up? Nobody said…this is my cue, I’m leaving?” she said.
As mentioned, Tamika D. Mallory also released a statement slamming Tony Hinchcliffe’s jokes. She said there was “nothing funny” about George’s murder.
“Allowing that white man or any other man to stand up there and disrespect US, while laughing, is disgusting. Part of the reason Black folks continue to face SEVERE attacks against our rights, is because some of us think everything is sh*ts and giggles. It wasn’t funny AT ALL.”
SWIPE BELOW TO SEE THE VIDEOS & STATEMENTS DESCRIBED.
Has Kevin Hart Spoken Out About The George Floyd Jab?
As mentioned, Kevin Hart was one of many at the roast who laughed when Tony Hinchcliffe used George Floyd and his death as punchlines. After the event, Hart took to Instagram to applaud all the comedians who popped out. He claimed the event went exactly as planned. Roasts, per Kevin, should be “hard-hitting, relentless jokes with no consequence. That’s the concept of a roast, you go hard or you go home.” Of Tony Hinchcliffe specifically, Hart said:
“Tony Hinchcliffe f*cking understood the assignment. Relentless as he always is, but funny. You can’t have emotions. You gotta understand what the f**king assignment is. Everybody came out there and did their f**king thing.”
Since that video on Monday (May 11), Kevin Hart has made seven additional Instagram feed posts promoting the roast. He has not directly addressed the backlash concerning the George Floyd jokes. Still, his comment sections are being flooded with mentions of it.
