The ESPN personality was put on Hart’s ‘Mount Rushmore of racism.‘

Stephen A. Smith says it ‘stung’ to hear Kevin Hart’s roast joke about him ‘hating Black people’

The ESPN personality was put on Hart's 'Mount Rushmore of racism.'

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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May 28, 2026 5:41 p.m. ET

Stephen A. Smith in 2025; Kevin Hart at his Netflix roast. Credit:

Noam Galai/Getty; Netflix

- Stephen A. Smith said it "hurt" to hear Kevin Hart allege that he "hates" Black people.

- Hart made the diss at his recent Netflix roast.

- Smith shared that the joke bothered him because he thought he had a good relationship with Hart.

Stephen A. Smith admits that it "stung" to hear Kevin Hart put the ESPN personality on his "Mount Rushmore of racism."

During Netflix's recent roast of Hart, the comedian made a joke about the event's host Shane Gillis, while also taking a shot at Smith, who was not present.

"My Mount Rushmore of racism when it comes to hating Black people [is] Shane Gillis, Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, Stephen A. Smith," Hart revealed. "Those are my four people when it comes to hating Black people."

Smith responded on Wednesday's edition of his SiriusXM show *Straight Shooter with Stephen A.* with one of his classic rants.

"I have no issue with the joke. I have an issue with the fact that it came from him," Smith said of Hart, who he believed he had a "pretty damn good relationship" with. "Knowing I've spent my life fighting on behalf of my community, that people try to continue this narrative about me that I know is false, [it] hurts to hear out of the mouth of anyone who knows me.”

Over the last decade, Smith has become one of the most vocal and promoted sports personalities on TV. But, more recently, he's stepped into the political ring, sharing his takes on hot button issues and even teasing the possibility of a presidential run. As part of his reaction to Hart's joke, Smith railed against "people from the Democratic Party" allegedly trying to "silence" him.

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"I've taken a lot of heat because of perceived positions that I may have had," he declared. "And Kevin Hart's roast, joke —whatever it was — was just the latest salvo shot in my direction. Incited, in my opinion, by a party that wants you to kowtow and march to their every whim. I'm not built like that. Keep messing with me."

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Kevin Hart defends himself and Tony Hinchcliffe after backlash to George Floyd joke at roast: 'I didn't say it'

Smith taking offense at the line from Hart is the latest controversy to come out of the roast. Chelsea Handler has called Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe "bigots" for their jokes involving race, and Hart defended himself and Hinchcliffe over criticism regarding the latter's reference to George Floyd in his set.

Despite his hurt feelings, in an unusual move for him, Smith seems fine moving on.

“Anybody expected me to go after Kevin Hart, you got the wrong man," said Smith, a man known for going after people. "I've always had a lot of love for him, I will continue to have a lot of love for him."

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