Kevin Hart addressed Tom Brady's regrets over his roast earlier this year, saying he understood where the NFL star was coming from, but felt the willingness for comedians to go hard was beneficial.
Tom Brady took issue with some of the jokes that occurred during his roast back in May, and while host Kevin Hart understands the NFL star’s concerns, he emphasized that it was meant to be in good fun at the end of the day.
In a new interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Hart addressed Brady's comments, saying he "wouldn’t do that again," especially when the jokes turned to his family life and children.
"When he says he regretted doing it… I think he’s saying, ‘I could have tapered it a little differently, or [had] a conversation pre-[show], of like, ‘Guys, let’s go and do this, but let’s not touch this or this,'" Hart told Rooks.
"The idea of going all in and just saying, ‘I don’t care, because I know the world would love to see me being on the receiving end of s---, because I’m Tom Brady, and I’ve been at the highest stage all my life,’ I think it was that."
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During the live three-hour broadcast of "The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady" on Netflix, comedians and celebrities took aim at Brady and mocked just about every element of the quarterback’s life.
That included his divorce from Gisele Bundchen, with whom he shares two children, Ben and Vivian. He’s also a father to son Jack, with his ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.
Afterwards, Brady told "The Pivot Podcast," that he "loved when the jokes were about me. I thought they were so fun. I didn’t like the way that it affected my kids."
"So, it’s the hardest part about the bittersweet aspect of when you do something that you think is one way and then all of a sudden you realize I wouldn’t do that again because of the way it affected the people that I care about the most.… Like I said, when I signed up for that I love when people were making fun of me."
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"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, right?" Hart told Bleacher Report.
He continued, "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 a [I’m] 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."
The comedian also noted that the roast was a useful event in the ever-contentious world of comedy.
"It also, what it did for comedy, and our climate of sensitivity, I think was necessary and valuable," Hart said. "Although I can side with Tom and see where he’s coming from, and just him wanting to protect the idea of family and the conversation attached to that. That’s probably where that’s coming from. I’m not privy to what he dealt with after, so I know his response and saying something about it was a result of possibly that.
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"But that thing, made people comfortable with the concept of a joke being a joke. It’s a joke, right? It’s a joke. 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," Hart said, adding that it’s kind of "a forgotten thing, because of the climate."
Hart said he attempted to set the tone, being the first to make fun of Brady, saying, "If you dissect the roast, I went out there and made people comfortable with the uncomfortable at the top of it. I hit Tom first. I hit the audience. I hit the stage. I hit the people. I did it in a way that was still likeable and fun. Didn’t come off malicious. ‘F---’ you Tom!’ I’m playing."
The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star noted that the special was a huge hit in the ratings, and ultimately appreciated Brady being willing to participate, even if he had misgivings after the fact.
"I’m glad we did it. Love him. Love everybody that did it, and I think the world needs more of it," Hart said. "Getting back to the idea and concept of a joke, and let’s stop letting the joke stand as the thing to live by or operate off of. Playing, or the concept of playing should be just that, playing."
