Key Takeaways
- George Floyd’s family criticized Tony Hinchcliffe for referencing his death during Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart.”
- A spokesperson for The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation called the joke “sad for the culture” and said it was hurtful given ongoing challenges facing the family.
- The incident follows other instances in which public figures faced backlash for invoking George’s murder in jokes or lyrics.
George Floyd’s family has responded to Tony Hinchcliffe’s inappropriate joke at Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart.”
During the comedy special, the comedian said, “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.” It was one of several controversial jokes from the “Kill Tony” host, who also made remarks about Sheryl Underwood’s late husband and said no matter “how much money Black people have, they’re still just going to act like ni—njas.”
On Monday (May 11) evening, a spokesperson for The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation told TMZ the comment referencing George, who was tragically murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, was “sad for the culture.”
The outlet added that his family was “baffled and disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s apparent fixation on making jokes about George. Notably, during 2024’s “The Roast of Tom Brady,” the comedian controversially said that Rob Gronkowski looked “like the final boss in George Floyd the video game.”
Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke comes amid Gianna Floyd being bullied in school
According to TMZ, the foundation also said George’s daughter Gianna Floyd is being bullied in school, so Hinchcliffe’s comments certainly don’t help. They added, “We are trying to rebuild things for our community and make things better in our community. Let's try to be a little bit more positive — and not sit up there doing colon inspections by white comedians.”
Unfortunately, Hinchcliffe isn’t the only public figure who’s attempted to trivialize George’s murder. In 2020, Tokyo Jetz faced backlash for jokingly telling a friend, “I’ma George Floyd your motherf**kin’ a**,” for which she later issued a teary-eyed apology. Just last year, Lil Yachty faced similar criticism for previewing a song on PlaqueBoyMax’s livestream that included the lyric, “Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd.”
The bottom line is that the Black community’s grief shouldn’t be anyone’s punchline, whether through jokes, song lyrics, or otherwise. With the six-year anniversary of George’s death approaching on May 25, many people could use a reminder that he was a real person with real loved ones.