Sheryl Underwood found herself walking a complicated line after Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” sparked outrage online.
While the comedian initially praised parts of the event and admitted some of the jokes made her laugh, she later acknowledged that several moments crossed into territory many viewers found deeply offensive.
Now, Underwood’s evolving reaction to the controversial special has become one of the biggest talking points surrounding the celebrity roast, especially after jokes involving George Floyd and her late husband triggered fierce backlash.
Sheryl Underwood did not hold back while discussing some of the most controversial moments from Netflix’s roast special.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the comedian admitted she understood why viewers reacted strongly to jokes involving George Floyd and racial violence.
“I think people should be upset, like the George Floyd jokes, the bonsai tree jokes, things like that,” Underwood said.
During the roast, Tony Hinchcliffe had joked, “Right now George Floyd is looking at us all and laughing so hard that he can’t breathe.”
Meanwhile, Shane Gillis sparked outrage after joking about Kevin Hart’s height by saying, “Kevin’s so short they’re going to have to lynch him from a bonsai tree.”
Underwood questioned the mindset behind jokes involving such painful subjects. “I want to get to know what is in your brain that makes you think this is OK?” she said about the comedians.
Even though she criticized parts of the material, Underwood still acknowledged the complicated reality of roast comedy, where offensive jokes often exist alongside audience laughter.
Underwood Reveals Tony Hinchcliffe Warned Her Beforehand
One of the most shocking moments of the roast involved jokes targeting Sheryl Underwood’s late husband, who died by suicide in 1990.
Although many viewers noticed the “Beauty Shop” actress laughing in the audience during the set, she later admitted the material still struck her as “in poor taste.”
At the same time, Underwood revealed both Hinchcliffe and Gillis privately reached out to her before the event. “I got a chance to talk to Tony Hinchcliffe and he told me where he was going, and then Shane Gillis called me and we talked about it,” she explained.
Underwood revealed that both comedians came with respect, adding that she didn’t know what they would say.
She added that she warned the comics they needed to deliver strong material if they were going to joke about deeply personal pain.
In her words, “Like when they talked to me about how they were coming at me, I said, ‘They better be funny.’” Underwood also had a blunt message specifically for Hinchcliffe after hearing the Floyd joke.
“I told Tony Hinchcliffe personally, ‘You gotta deal with the Floyd family — and they got hands.’ You’re talking about someone’s relative,” she said.
Sheryl Underwood Wasn’t The Only Star Criticizing The Roast
The Netflix special quickly exploded into controversy after multiple comedians publicly criticized the roast’s tone.
As The Blast reported, Chelsea Handler, who also participated in the event, blasted Hinchcliffe and Gillis during an appearance on “Deon Cole’s Funny Knowing You” podcast.
“I don’t find those jokes funny. Lynching Black people is not a joke. It’s worse than rape,” Handler said. She also called the atmosphere surrounding the roast a “gross vibe.”
Gillis later fired back through a representative, sarcastically telling Page Six, “This is a big moment for Chelsea. I am glad she’s capitalizing. Good for her. We’re all rooting for her.”
“Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che also criticized the event after reportedly dropping out before filming. “White guys and black people joke different,” Che wrote on Instagram Stories.
Che later mocked the roast’s writing staff after posting a photo of five white male writers associated with Gillis’ team.
Underwood Explains Why Some Offensive Jokes Still Worked
Sheryl Underwood’s latest criticism stands in noticeable contrast to comments she made shortly after the roast premiered.
During an earlier interview with Tudum, the Emmy Award winner appeared far more supportive of the comedians and of the event’s aggressive tone.
She explained why she still laughed at some material involving her husband’s suicide. “A lot of people felt bad for me because they were talking about my husband’s suicide. But those jokes were written so well that they made me laugh,” Underwood said.
The 62-year-old believed intention and craftsmanship separated edgy comedy from outright cruelty. “I believe the line is the intention of the comedian and the construction of the joke,” she explained.
Underwood also argued that comedians ultimately faced consequences if audiences believed they had crossed too far over the line.
“It’s not about the line; it’s about who you’ve got to face when you walk out,” she said, adding, “If somebody is waiting on you, I got nothing for you, man. Shouldn’t have told your joke.”
According to Underwood, audiences would naturally decide when comics need to “course correct.”
Sheryl Underwood Says Roasting Still Makes Comics Nervous
Even after decades in comedy, Underwood admitted that roast environments remain intensely stressful for performers.
According to the comedian, the unpredictability of live roasting creates anxiety for everyone involved, regardless of experience.
“We’re all colleagues, but everybody’s nervous. Even if you look cool as a cucumber, everybody’s nervous because you don’t know what somebody is going to say,” she said.
Underwood explained that comics often use nervous energy to sharpen their performances in real time.
Her own performance during the roast became one of the night’s biggest talking points, earning praise from both fans and celebrities watching the special.
Underwood revealed that Dwayne Johnson personally praised her after the show wrapped. “He said, ‘Sheryl, you did your thing. What do you want to do after this?’” she shared.
For Underwood, the moment represented something bigger than surviving controversial jokes. According to her, “That night, I was seen, heard, and respected.”
