Kevin Hart on Dave Chappelle Backlash. Claim He's an Industry Plant (original) (raw)

Kevin Hart joined The Independent for a recent interview in which he called Jo Koy a “phenomenal” stand-up comedian following the disastrous reviews Koy earned as the host of the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. Hart made headlines earlier this month when he said he will never host the Oscars because award shows “just aren’t comedy-friendly environments anymore,” and he doubled down on that opinion while talking about Koy. He argued that Koy had a far more difficult time connecting to the celebrities in the room because he’s just not an industry comic.

“Look, the climate of comedy attached to award shows has just changed drastically,” Hart said. “And as a talent, if you don’t have the relationships that are in that room, those rooms can be cold. I don’t consider [awards shows] to be good gigs at this point.”

“When you look at those that have had a high level of success — Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock or Steve Martin — you’re looking at industry comics,” he continued. “Of course they crush in the world of stand-up. But they’re also actively involved with a lot of the personnel in those rooms. So there are relationships. It’s one of those things where nobody wants to be talked about, nobody wants to be teased and because of that, everybody’s so uptight.”

Hart was also asked about a recent accusation made by fellow comedian Kat Williams that alleged Hart is nothing but an industry “plant.” As Williams said: “In 15 years in Hollywood, no one in Hollywood has a memory of a sold-out Kevin Hart show, there being a line for him, ever getting a standing ovation at any comedy club.” Hart said that such an accusation “comes with the territory” of being a famous comedian, but he’s ignoring the claim otherwise.

“It’s not worth my time for a response or an engagement,” Hart said. “It’s extremely beneath me in the position that I’m currently in…I think those that can’t talk about those that can.”

Hart was more open when the topic of Dave Chappelle came up. Both comedians are Netflix comedy fixtures, but it’s Chappelle who frequently courts controversy for making jokes about the transgender community. His latest Netflix special, “The Dreamer,” dropped on Dec. 31 and included a 12-minute opener in which he once again made jokes about trans people.

“We’re just in a time now where the microscope is significantly pointed in the direction of the comic, and what the comic is saying,” Hart told The Independent. “But you have the option of just not watching someone you don’t find funny or entertaining. That’s something extremely simple that people are forgetting.”

“I don’t feel like everybody should love me,” he added. “I don’t feel like everybody should think I’m funny. It’s perfectly fine.”

Hart is currently back on Netflix as the lead of the streamer’s heist adventure “Lift,” which debuted at the top of the Netflix charts with 32.8 million hours viewed.