Pastor Jamal Bryant is weighing in on the controversy surrounding “The Roast of Kevin Hart,” and he is not softening his stance.

In a Threads post shared Tuesday, May 12, Bryant reposted a screenshot from a discussion about the special and wrote, “The Kevin Hart roast wasn’t comedy it was disrespect dressed as jokes.” He added, “In this climate for it to go unchecked is to give consent.”

“The Roast of Kevin Hart” continues to draw criticism for jokes that pushed well past playful shade. The live Netflix event featured references to slavery, sex crimes, George Floyd, and Kevin Hart’s personal life, and one of the biggest offenses involved jokes aimed at Sheryl Underwood about her late husband’s suicide. Fellow comedians like Michael Che and Lil Rel Howery have also shared their disappointment with the offensive roast.

Underwood later said she was not personally offended by the material, telling TMZ that comedy has a purpose, "It’s a way for us to talk about the issues with humor and come to some common ground," she explained. "Years ago, you couldn’t say 'm-word' for little people, couldn’t say 'r-word' for the disabled ... sometimes political correctness does not fit in comedy."

That response only added to the larger debate over what roast comedy should look like when the target is Black, the audience is global, and the line between edgy and disrespectful gets blurry. 

The special itself was packed with big names, including Tom Brady, Usher, Katt Williams, Chelsea Handler, Jeff Ross, and Dwayne Johnson, and it closed Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026 with plenty of buzz and even more pushback. 

Bryant’s comments tapped into a conversation that has already grown beyond the stage: who gets to decide when comedy simply goes too far.