After years of tension and public shots between Kevin Hart and Katt Williams, the two appeared to finally bury the hatchet during Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart.” The comedy special featured a list of comedians and celebrities poking fun at the actor, including Williams, who made a surprise appearance.
Hart and Williams’ feud began in 2014, with the two exchanging verbal jabs. The former extended an olive branch to his fellow comedian, but not before getting brutally roasted in the name of comedy.
“The Roast of Kevin Hart,” which premiered live on Netflix on May 10, had comedians and special guests roasting the actor, including Tom Brady, The Rock, Jeff Ross, Pete Davidson, Regina Hall, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Big Jay Oakerson. Toward the end of the evening, Hall brought out a surprise guest, legendary comedian Katt Williams.
It was a big surprise, indeed, as the two have been embroiled in a public feud since 2014. Williams immediately took a jab at Hart, saying, “I’m surprised they invited me. That’s how little star power you have. They had to start inviting your enemies. I said, ‘I hate him.’ They said, ‘Come anyway,’”
Hart took Williams’ roast in stride, laughing with the crowd and seemingly having a genuinely good time despite the surprise guest’s scathing words. As for why he agreed to appear, Williams said, “For the money, b-tch!”
Williams used his quick wit and storytelling expertise to share with the audience his beef with Hart, combining roasting the comedian and enumerating the problems he had with him. “Kevin and I had beef, and I’ll tell you why. Because, privately, this motherf-cker stole everything from me. Before he saw my act, he was a 6-foot-3 white man,” Williams said.
In 2014, Williams started making backhanded remarks about comedians in Hollywood. At that time, Hart, who started in the stand-up comedy circuit, appeared in films such as “Ride Along,” “About Last Night,” “Get Hard,” and “The Wedding Ringer,” among others. Williams has also accused Hart of taking movie roles from him.
Throughout the years, Williams has accused Hart of being an “industry plant” and a “Hollywood puppet,” citing his rapid rise to fame. At the roast, the comedian said he made some comments he would like to take back, and that some of what he said was “misunderstood.”
Williams spoke about those comments during the roast, saying that he referred to the actor as a “plant” because “I keep burying him. He keeps springing back the f-ck up, just like a plant.” As for being a “puppet,” Williams said his words may have been taken out of context, explaining that what he meant was, “The head of Netflix literally has his whole hand up Kevin’s a-s and can make him do anything.”
In 2016, Hart posted a photo on Instagram with Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, writing a caption about comedians supporting each other. “It’s about helping one another not trying to tear each other down!!! The insecure ones will never understand that…” Hart wrote. Despite not naming Williams, many speculated it was a veiled jab at his rival.
In 2018, Hart directly addressed his problem with Williams on “The Breakfast Club,” saying his frustration stemmed from the comedian not taking responsibility for his actions. “You didn’t show up to work. You f-cked off promo shoots… You became a risk to the studios, which is why studios stopped f-cking with you,” Hart exclaimed.
In 2024, Williams appeared on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, in which he talked at length about Hart being an “industry plant.” The comedian claimed Hart never had a sold-out show or a standing ovation at comedy clubs before being an actor. “He already had his deals when he got here,” Williams said.
Kevin Hart And Katt Williams End Their Feud
After Williams’ roast, Hart spoke about the surprise appearance and acknowledged their years-long beef. However, he said, “Katt, I can sit, I can watch you, I can laugh because I’m a f-cking fan first.” He went on to say that he’s taking the opportunity in front of live TV to put their differences aside.
“I am offering you an olive branch of peace. I want to be a brother. I want to be a friend. Katt, I wanna move on. Can we move on, man?” Hart asked. Williams approached the man of the night, extending his hand. The two shook hands and shared a brotherly hug, with the audience hollering and applauding.
Hart took the stage, referring to his interaction with Williams earlier in the night as “some of the best f-cking acting” that he’s done in his career. “I did not mean one word of what I said. F-ck Katt Williams!” he said jokingly. He then went on to refute his rival’s claims.
On a serious note, however, he shared his appreciation for Williams’ participation in the roast. “I meant what I said, that beef is over. Katt and I are friends from today moving forward,” Hart said.
