Why do Kevin Hart and Katt Williams have beef? Netflix helped bury a years-long feud between the two iconic comedians with the Roast of Kevin Hart this past Sunday.
The Roast of Kevin Hart
Host Shane Gillis welcomed a barrel of iconic comedians to roast the Jumanji star. Netflix viewers want to know more about Kevin Hart and Katt Williams' beef after the streamer's latest comedy special. Hart was roasted by the likes of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Pete Davidson, and Regina Hall, but the biggest talking point after the new Netflix special was a surprise appearance from comedian Katt Williams.
The comedy legend is best known for his envelope-pushing stand-up shows and film appearances, but has recently drawn attention for a long-running feud with Hart. During Netflix's Roast of Kevin Hart, which aired on the streamer last night (Sunday, 10th May), the pair finally buried the hatchet, though not without some scathing remarks from both sides.
The Origins of the Feud
The feud began back in the 2000s, when Williams accused Hart of taking roles in films such as 2008's Fool's Gold that were allegedly offered to him first. He then went on to criticise Hart's frequent collaborator Tiffany Haddish in 2017, ahead of their 2018 film Night School. Hart later appeared on an episode of The Breakfast Club and defended Haddish, and also went on to slam Williams for tearing down Black comedians. Williams retaliated over the subsequent years by branding Hart a 'puppet' and an 'industry plant'. During a Club Shay Shay appearance, he implied that Hart had never performed a sold-out show and reiterated claims that he had stolen roles from him.
The Netflix Roast
Now, the comics appear to have put aside their differences for the time being, though not without some pointed remarks from Williams during the Netflix roast. He began by admitting his 'surprise' that he was invited, considering how much he 'hates' Hart. 'That's how little star power you have,' Williams quipped. 'They had to start inviting your enemies. I said, "I hate him." They said, "Come anyway."'
'Very humble of me to be at your GOAT roast tonight,' Williams went on. 'Kevin, I've won an Emmy Award, but this is going to be my best acting tonight as I pretend like you are a GOAT for the people at home. You're wondering, why is the Katt man doing this for the money? B****, this is my Riyadh Comedy Festival, only one with a soul.' Williams was not the first comedian of the night to bring up Hart's appearance at the controversial festival in Saudi Arabia. He also addressed his 'industry plant' claims, saying: 'I tried to tell y'all that Kevin Hart was a plant, because I keep burying him. He keeps springing back the f*** up, just like a plant.'
As for his 'puppet' remarks, he joked: 'I meant that the head of Netflix literally has his whole hand up Kevin's a** and can make him do anything.' However, the comedian also admitted he has said things about Hart that 'I'd like to take back' and were 'misunderstood'. After Williams' set, Hart seemed eager to put their feud to bed, telling Williams: 'I am offering you an olive branch of peace. I want to be a brother. I want to be a friend, Katt. I want to move on. Can we move on?'
Hart still managed to get in some jabs of his own about Williams' career, including his cameo in the maligned Eddie Murphy film Norbit, but ultimately concluded: 'It's not good for all these white people to see two Black people fighting. We're too small to have the beef that we had. So Katt, it's over. The beef is over between me and Katt. And on a serious note, I love the fact that that man showed up tonight. He showed out.'
The Roast of Kevin Hart is available to stream on Netflix.
