Sources close to comedian Kevin Hart rebuked Kathy Griffin after the controversial comedian attacked him for failing to go after President Donald Trump in his stand-up shows.
“Kathy is the last person on Kevin’s mind, believe me,” sources close to the 38-year-old actor told Fox News. “Everyone has something to say about Donald Trump, and that’s the reason Kevin isn’t speaking on him. Kevin honestly feels the Trump bits are overused and knows that people are tired of the political banter from comedians.”
“Going after people isn’t Kevin’s style, and he isn’t into telling people what they should or shouldn’t think about the President,” the source continued. “Kevin would much rather stick to what he already does well, and that’s telling jokes that resonate with people on a personal level.”
The response comes hours after Griffin criticized Hart for not mentioning Trump in his comedy routines, describing it as a “pussy move” because he is black.
“I do feel like this is such an anxiety-ridden time for everyone that there is a thirst for all kinds of comedy,” she said in an interview with USA Today. “And look, if you want to not hear about Trump at all, go see Kevin Hart. He doesn’t even mention Trump. I personally think that’s a pussy move because he’s a black man. But I guess he’s selling more tickets than I ever will.”
Griffin’s comments enraged many on social media, with users accusing her of arrogance and categorizing black people. The 56-year-old comedienne has become a controversial figure since she was photographed holding up Donald Trump’s severed head.
Hart, meanwhile, has previously spoken of the risk of “alienating” an audience when comedians become political.
“When you jump into that political realm you’re alienating some of your audience,” Hart said in an interview with Variety last May. “The world today, it’s really not a laughing matter. It’s serious. I don’t want to draw attention to things I don’t have nice things to say about.”
However, Hart is not the only figure to warn of the dangers of politically charged comedy. This week, Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones urged the NBC sketch comedy show to move away from its repeated Trump-jokes and embrace more traditional comedy.
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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