Key Takeaways

• Kevin Hart says past tensions with Mike Epps and Katt Williams are behind them, opening the door for collaboration.
• The comedians are in early talks about a possible ensemble comedy project with echoes of Harlem Nights cultural impact.
• Hart hopes their reconciliation will model growth and unity in comedy by showing how they can come together creatively.

Kevin Hart, Mike Epps and Katt Williams are setting aside their differences. In a new episode of the “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony” podcast, Hart addressed past tensions shared between the men and the state of comedy’s brotherhood. According to the movie star, much of the turmoil that kept the comedians at odds is water under the bridge.

“We all got older, and I think our conversations have gotten better. You know, me, Mike, Katt — there was always a little ruffle in the water for quite some time, but picking up the phone does a lot,” explained Hart. The wisdom that came with age has also parlayed into opportunities for the comedic juggernauts to, at least to some extent, realize the root of their frustrations.

The Acting My Age entertainer said, “It was about… the idea of what we felt, or possibly felt, that we should be doing together and that we weren’t. Because we weren’t, assumptions were made and feelings are developed and animosity comes in.” Those rough moments — like when Williams called Hart an industry plant and more during his infamous “Club Shay Shay” interview — can finally be laid to rest.

“We understand that we have a job to do, and, you know, that job is to be better examples," Hart offered in his reflections. "So, mending whatever the problems were in our days of old allows this generation to see, like, we’re not afraid to do that; you know, alleviates the future world of conflict for them… I like that we’re much better today than we were yesterday."

What are these Comedy Kings cooking up?

“We’re talking about doing a couple different things together,” said the HartBeat Productions founder. “We got some great ideation happening about how we can shake s**t up for the culture and give the culture something they desperately deserve, and let’s find a way for us to all share the screen together.”

His hope is that whatever project comes to fruition will be as funny, iconic and impactful as Harlem Nights. “That’s the one thing that we have that frustrates me. When you think about Harlem Nights, they all had that thing together,” said Hart. The legendary cast of the 1989 comedy-crime flick includes Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Charlie Murphy, Robin Harris, Redd Foxx and more.

Hart and Epps previously buried the hatchet on their feud before joining forces for the BET’s “ComicView" revival in 2023.