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Michael Che dropped out of Netflix’s Kevin Hart roast days before the event aired, then blasted its all-white writing team on Instagram. The SNL star called out the tasteless approach to jokes about slavery, sex crimes, and racial slurs. His viral post exposed how networks can fail Black comedy icons.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Event Date: The roast aired on May 10, 2026 at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California
- Che’s Criticism: Posted May 13, 2026 calling out Nick Mullen, J.P. McDade, Mike Lawrence, Dan St. Germain and Zac Amico as the main writers
- Comedy Targets: Jokes included references to slavery, lynching, suicide, George Floyd, and other sensitive topics
- Rep Acknowledgment: J.P. McDade cheekily responded by resharing Che’s photo with caption “Don’t swipe”
SNL Star Calls Out Kevin Hart Roast Lineup
Michael Che was originally scheduled to perform at Netflix’s live roast on May 10, 2026, but pulled out due to scheduling conflicts with Saturday Night Live. According to Variety, the roast had undergone significant lineup changes with multiple last-minute additions and dropouts. Che’s departure wasn’t announced with much fanfare until days later when he took to social media to address the event’s direction.
The SNL Weekend Update host didn’t hold back his frustration. Che posted that white roasts feature slavery, sex crimes, and slurs, while Black roasts focus on jokes about shoes and personal possessions. His timing felt sharp coming just after the roast aired to massive social media backlash.
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Specific Writers Called Out in Viral Posts
Che didn’t restrict his criticism to vague generalities. He explicitly named and photographed five white writers hired to craft jokes for the event: Nick Mullen, J.P. McDade, Mike Lawrence, Dan St. Germain, and Zac Amico. His post sarcastically asked, “‘Let’s do a roast celebrating the career of the most successful Black comic in the last 10 years. Who should we get to write it?'” then shared their image.
Che’s caption, “C’monnnnnnnnn…that’s not funny?” dripped with sarcasm and quickly went viral. The post sparked major debates about representation in comedy writing, representation of writers behind the scenes, and whether roasts should involve hiring writers with lived experience regarding sensitive racial topics.
Roast Jokes That Crossed the Line
| Comedian | Controversial Content |
| Shane Gillis (Host) | Slavery and lynching jokes about Kevin Hart’s height, took “three weeks of deliberation” |
| Tony Hinchcliffe | Made joke about George Floyd in hell, saying “George Floyd is looking up at us, laughing so hard he can’t breathe” |
| Multiple Comics | References to Hart’s late father’s crack cocaine addiction, racial slurs, sex crimes |
| Pete Davidson | Jokes alluding to (but not saying) the N-word |
The Netflix roast featured roasters including Chelsea Handler, Katt Williams, Jeff Ross, Lizzo, and actor Tom Brady. While roasts traditionally push comedy limits, critics argued this special crossed from edgy into genuinely harmful territory. Activist Tamika Mallory specifically slammed Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke, calling it disrespectful on Instagram.
“White guys and Black people joke different. Black guy roast like, ‘look at this shoes!’ White roasts are like, ‘Slavery, math, slain teens, sex crimes, slurs, family secrets.’ White guys don’t give a fuck about they shoes.”
— Michael Che, via Instagram
Full Writing Team and Netflix Response
Netflix’s roast actually employed 17 credited writers total, not just the five Che called out. The extended team included Black writers Harry Ratchford, Chris Spencer, and Joey Wells, though Che’s focus remained on the predominantly white core writing staff. Many comedians hired their own joke-writing teams, including Chelsea Handler, who posted photos with her writers and tagged them in Instagram captions.
Netflix declined to comment on the controversy. However, J.P. McDade responded with humor, resharing Che’s post but only the photo, captioning it “Don’t swipe” to discourage followers from seeing Che’s criticism. The light response didn’t defuse growing concerns about hiring practices and creative direction.
What This Reveals About Comedy Industry Standards
Michael Che’s criticism highlights a deeper industry problem: when roasting Black comedians about their most painful experiences, networks sometimes default to majority-white writing rooms. Comedy venues and producers must ask whether staffing decisions genuinely serve the comedy or simply check boxes.
The roast aired to strong viewership but equally strong backlash. Will Netflix adjust its approach for future roasts? The conversation sparked by Che suggests audiences increasingly demand representation behind the camera as much as on stage.
Sources
- Variety – Exclusive reporting on Michael Che’s withdrawal and Instagram posts about roast writers
- NewsNation – Coverage of Kevin Hart roast jokes and social media criticism of offensive material
- Entertainment Weekly – Details about roast writer credits and full creative team
