INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Netflix's live roast of comedian Kevin Hart drew a star-studded crowd to the Kia Forum on Mother's Day, delivering three hours of sharp-witted jabs, surprise appearances, and reconciliations that had the audience roaring with laughter. Hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, the event featured high-profile roasters including Tom Brady, Chelsea Handler, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, while surprise guests like Lizzo, Teyana Taylor, Katt Williams, and tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams added unexpected flair. The roast, which streamed live on the platform, marked a high-energy follow-up to Netflix's earlier celebrity roasts, promising Hart a night of unfiltered comedy amid his ongoing Hollywood prominence.
Hart, known for blockbuster films like the Ride Along series and Jumanji reboots, took the stage amid pyrotechnics, setting a combative tone by trash-talking the lineup and comparing the event favorably to the previous Tom Brady roast. "This is way better than the Tom Brady roast — mainly because I’m not a bitch," Hart quipped, according to recaps from the event. Gillis, described by observers as an "extremely white host," opened the show by thanking Netflix for selecting him to emcee a "celebration of Black excellence," a line that elicited immediate chuckles from the diverse crowd.
The audience at the Kia Forum included celebrities such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez, Machine Gun Kelly, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, underscoring the event's appeal across entertainment circles. Usher kicked things off with a performance of his hit "Caught Up," backed by The Roots, before transitioning into a musical roast of Hart. "Good luck, you gon’ need it, buddy," Usher told Hart, who responded with a string of expletives as the punches began to fly.
One of the night's early highlights came from NFL legend Tom Brady, who sought revenge for Hart's appearance at his own roast earlier in the year. Strutting onto the stage, Brady presented Hart with a "newborn-size" New York Knicks jersey and referenced Hart's 2017 Las Vegas cheating scandal. "Jesus, do you ever shut the fuck up?" Brady said, drawing laughs as he compared his seven Super Bowl rings to Hart's two Ride Along credits. "I guess it wouldn’t be a Kevin Hart project if it wasn’t a shitty sequel," Brady added, before taking a playful swipe at the dais lineup, joking, "Who the fuck are these people? I thought they shut down Spirit Airlines?" He wrapped up by hollering at Hart's wife, Eniko Parrish, saying, "Payback’s a bitch, and so are you."
Comedian Jeff Ross, the self-proclaimed Roastmaster General, paid homage to Eddie Murphy's iconic red leather suit from his Delirious special, using it to launch into a barrage of Hart insults. Ross called Hart the "crack baby that could, preemie with a dream-y, putting the Elf in Philadelphia, Eddie Smurfy," highlighting Murphy's absence from the event. He also shared a personal anecdote, crediting Hart's jokes at the Brady roast for prompting him to get a colonoscopy that detected his cancer. "I’m here to shit all over you," Ross said, turning the health scare into roast fodder.
Chelsea Handler delivered one of the evening's most pointed sets, targeting host Gillis first. "Is that Druski in whiteface?" she asked, before adding that he looked like he had "fetal alcohol syndrome" and resembled a "steamed dumpling." Handler then broadened her critique to the dais, calling it a "who’s who of statutory rapists" and alluding to political affiliations, particularly those of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, known for his Trump rally performances and controversial Puerto Rico comments. "Tony is what happens when women don’t have safe access to abortion care," she said, describing him as having "the face of a school shooter and the personality of someone who gets shot first." She questioned Hinchcliffe's sexuality in jest, asking, "Who’s keeping Joe Rogan’s balls warm in their mouth if he’s here tonight?" Despite the barbs, Handler ended on a positive note about Hart: "I’m proud to be friends with someone who respects women and loves his wife."
Surprise musical interludes provided levity, with Lizzo taking the stage as the first unannounced guest. Playing the flute, she "honored" Hart's body doubles — a lineup of little people in costumes from his films. "Oh, this is live? OK, cool," Lizzo said, bursting into laughter during her podium time. "Ain’t no Ozempic for being short and greasy," she told Hart directly.
Teyana Taylor followed as another surprise, reading from a comically long letter explaining her absence. She cited not wanting to "throw off the balance of the dais" with her stature and pulled up a Halloween photo of Hart dressed as Eddie Murphy. "You dressing up as an iconic, funny comedian is unbelievable. It’s disrespectful, it’s inappropriate — don’t ever do that again," Taylor said, eliciting groans and applause.
Sheryl Underwood earned a standing ovation for her set, starting with a stern warning to Gillis about cultural sensitivities. "It was a good thing you stopped at saying the term combining ‘white’ with the N-word: ‘Cause had you said anything that sound ‘bigger, trigger,’ or anything that sound like N—-, you wouldn’t have made it out of motherfucking Inglewood alive," she said. Underwood emphasized the event's spirit of unity: "I want to thank Netflix and Kevin Hart for bringing us all together. Freedom of speech is alive today. It shows that we can all come together and crack jokes on each other and still respect each other." She took shots at Hart personally, joking about a past encounter: "He got stuck in my pussy, I tied a rope around his neck and pulled him out like a tampon." Underwood concluded warmly: "We only roast who we love, and we love you."
The emotional peak came with the resolution of Hart's long-standing feud with Katt Williams, introduced by Regina Hall in a bit channeling Hart's late mother, Nancy. Hall delivered deadpan warnings from beyond, including advice against Vegas trips and noting that Hart's films don't screen in heaven. Williams, a surprise guest, addressed the tension head-on. "I won an Emmy, but this will be my best acting tonight," he said, calling the event his "Riyadh Comedy Festival." Backing his past claim that Hart was an "industry plant," Williams quipped, "I keep burying him and he keeps springing back up." He revisited Hart's 2019 Oscars controversy over a homophobic tweet, calling it "arguably the gayest way to abuse a child." Williams painted Hart as far from homophobic: "The guy who’s obsessed with shopping sprees and fitness; always surrounded by 10 dudes... That guy is a fairy, bitch. You slay, queen." On Hart's link to Sean Combs parties, Williams said the silence spoke volumes: "The fact that he gets all quiet when you bring it up — that means he did something wrong."
Hart responded graciously onstage, declaring himself "a fan first" and suggesting they "put our beef behind us." The two shook hands and hugged, a moment broadcast live. In his later rebuttal, however, Hart revealed the truce's performative side: "That was some of the best fucking acting I’ve ever done in my career. I did not mean one word of what I said … Fuck Katt Williams." He defended his Combs party attendance — "I went to one fucking party … Katt was at the same fucking party" — and jabbed at Williams' past jail time and a fight with a teenager. Ultimately, Hart praised Williams: "He showed the fuck out... That beef is over."
Venus and Serena Williams, hailing from nearby Compton, introduced Dwayne Johnson with tennis-themed humor. "As you know, in tennis, love means nothing," they said of their affection for Hart, before Johnson entered to Queen's "We Will Rock You." "Finally, daddy is home," Johnson declared, dispelling rumors of promoting another joint project. He joked about chewing Hart's food for him and complimented Parrish: "She deserves an Academy Award for pretending she likes to fuck you." Referencing their bromance, Johnson tried to coax Hart onto his knee for a toast, then opened his shirt: "My titties ain’t sucking themselves." Hart resisted, prompting Johnson to note, "Now you don’t want to do it on live television."
Other roasters chimed in with memorable lines. Pete Davidson targeted Gillis, saying he looked like he "got CTE playing fantasy football," and roasted Hinchcliffe harshly: "Tony reminds me of Charlie Kirk, in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload on his throat. Kill Tony." Gillis himself quipped about honoring Hart by "taking a paycheck and pretending we’re having fun," while Hinchcliffe landed a solid punch: "Kevin has so few Black friends that he started a vegan fast food chain and nobody stopped him." The event included edgier moments, such as a distasteful George Floyd reference and Hinchcliffe's near-use of the N-word in a fake-out.
Longtime Hart collaborator Na’im Lynn, from The Plastic Cup Boyz, dismissed the dais as a "batch of bullshit" but acknowledged the star power on and off stage. The roast highlighted Hart's resilience in comedy, coming after his Riyadh Comedy Festival gigs and amid ongoing debates about his industry status. As Netflix continues to invest in live events — following the Brady roast's success — this installment showcased the platform's ability to blend celebrity spectacle with raw humor.
Looking ahead, the event may boost Hart's visibility for upcoming projects, including potential Jumanji 3 talks, while the public truce with Williams could signal a thaw in comedy's competitive rivalries. Netflix has not announced immediate follow-ups, but the strong attendance and viral moments suggest more roasts are likely, keeping the format a staple in the streaming giant's programming slate.