Kevin Hart Defends The Roast Of Tom Brady, Says It “Was Necessary And Valuable” For Comedy

In a candid interview with Bleacher Report, Kevin Hart stood by his controversial roast of Tom Brady in Netflix’s recent hit special, The Greatest Roast of All Time. Despite Tom expressing regret over participating, the renowned comedian and actor defended his comedic approach, emphasizing its importance in today’s landscape.

Kevin, known for his sharp wit and fearless humor, was the first to take jabs at Tom during the May special, touching on sensitive topics like Tom’s divorce from Gisele Bündchen. Reflecting on Tom’s subsequent regret, Kevin acknowledged the star quarterback’s concerns about family and public perception but maintained the necessity of pushing boundaries in comedy.

“When he says he regretted doing it… I think what he’s referring to is saying, I could have tapered it a little differently, having a conversation pre-, of like, ‘Guys, let’s go and do this, but let’s not touch this,'” Kevin explained, hinting at Tom’s post-show reflections. 

Despite the fallout, Kevin argued that the special’s impact on comedy and societal sensitivity was valuable.

In his words: “The idea of going all in and just saying, ‘I don’t care, because I know the world would love to see me being on the receiving end of s—,’ … I think it was that. But what it did for comedy and our climate of sensitivity, I think was necessary and valuable.”

During the roast, Tom, who appeared as the guest of honor, faced a barrage of jokes from friends and celebrities, including Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Nikki Glaser, and Kim Kardashian. Kevin’s opening roast, which included playful jabs at Tom’s personal life, drew both laughter and shocked reactions from the audience.

Despite Tom’s reservations post-show, Kevin believed the special contributed to normalizing humor and distinguishing between comedy and personal critique.

As Kevin put it, “that [special] made people comfortable with a joke being a joke.”