Wanda Sykes Turned Down Kevin Hart's Netflix Roast, Criticizes "Lazy Writing" and Recycled Jokes

Wanda Sykes is relieved she skipped Kevin Hart's Netflix roast.

The 62-year-old comedian discussed her decision to pass on the event during an appearance on Vulture's Good One podcast. Hart, 46, had personally reached out to Sykes before the roast was publicly announced, asking her to take part in the special that aired last month.

"Kevin called me before it was announced, and I said, 'No!'" Sykes recalled. She described how Hart tried to persuade her, saying "Come on, Wanda. Come on, it'll be good. It'll be good for your special. You've got a special coming out." She responded warmly but held firm: "Kevin, you know I love you, man." Hart acknowledged her hesitation, telling her, "I know. I know it's not your thing. I know it's not your thing. You'll just come in, do your thing, get out of there."

When pressed about what specifically didn't appeal to her about the roast, Sykes was direct. "Just lazy, lazy writing," she said.

The comedian went on to note a pattern she's observed across Netflix's roast programming. "But I thought the same thing with the [2024 Tom] Brady roast too," she explained. "Seems like the roasts, they're just recycled, you know, sexist, racist, gay jokes. Like, come on."

After sampling enough of Hart's roast to get a sense of its content, Sykes felt vindicated in her choice. "I consumed enough to go, 'Thank god,'" she said. Instead, she spent the evening at a Los Angeles Sparks game.

The roast drew scrutiny for several moments, particularly surrounding comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's material. The white comedian faced backlash over his jokes during the special, with fellow roaster Chelsea Handler characterizing some of his bits as "racist." Hart subsequently weighed in with his own perspective on Hinchcliffe's performance.