Kevin Hart has defended Netflix‘s roast of Tom Brady, describing it as “necessary and valuable”.
The roast poked fun at Brady’s American football career and his personal life, including his divorce from supermodel Gisele Bundchen and past relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan, who was pregnant with their son when they separated.
Following the roast, Brady expressed regret over some of the jokes aimed at his family, and admitted he “wouldn’t do that again because of the way it affected” his kids.
Now, Hart has spoken out about Brady’s comments in a new interview with Bleacher Report.
“When he says he regretted doing it, I think what he’s referring to is, [he] could have tapered it a little differently, saying or having a pre conversation like, ‘Guys let’s go and do this, but let’s not touch this or this’,” said the comedian.
Defending the roast, Hart added: “Also, like, what it did for comedy and, like, our climate of sensitivity, I think it was necessary and valuable.”
Hart also defended his roastmaster, saying: “Hard-hitting fun jokes. Everybody up there got hit, everybody got hit. “But those comics got an opportunity to show what makes them special. There was not a comic that touched that microphone that did not show that they were a sharp-witted talent. That’s the whole idea of a roast.”
The Great Roast of All Time: Tom Brady (above) was hosted by Kevin Hart. CREDIT: Getty Images
The comedian did, however, express sympathy for Brady, before vowing to handle things differently at future roasts.
“Although I can side with Tom and see where he’s coming from and just him wanting to protect, you know, the idea of family and the conversation attached to that. You know, that’s probably where that’s coming from, and, you know, I’m not privy to whatever he dealt with after,” Hart said. “So I know his response and saying something about it was a result to possibly that. But that thing made people comfortable with, like, the concept of a joke being a joke.
“I love the moment. I love Tom,’ Hart said. “I understand why Tom came back and said what he said, but I understand where it’s coming from. And I think when he says that, he just knows that he could have policed it a little better, if he wanted to, but also not being aware of where people were going to go and how they were going to come in, it’s a learning lesson.
“So moving forward, if we’re roasting somebody and there’s something crazy that they don’t want, then it’s just a conversation beforehand, and people just go around it.”
At the end of the Netflix special, Brady himself took to the stage to roast the comedians and some of his former NFL teammates. During his set, the athlete also took shots at Taylor Swift and Kanye West.
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