The Flash Star Hartley Sawyer Fired Over Racist, Misogynistic Tweets

July 2024 · 4 minute read

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Hartley Sawyer has been fired from CW’s “The Flash” over a collection of racist and misogynistic tweets he posted prior to joining the show.

The news was confirmed by CW and the show’s producers Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, who provided Variety the following statement.

“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of ‘The Flash.’ In regards to Mr. Sawyer’s posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Such remarks are antithetical to our values and polices, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce.”

The tweets in question date mainly from 2012 and 2014, including this one: “The only thing keeping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me.”

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In another tweet from 2012, Sawyer wrote that “as a lad, one of my favorite activities was kidnapping homeless women and cutting off their breasts.”

https://twitter.com/MasterChuck81/status/1268506463456108547?s=20

Hartley issued an apology via his Instagram last week, saying that he is “incredibly sorry, ashamed and disappointed in myself for my ignorance back then.”

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A post shared by Hartley Sawyer (@hartleysawyer)

Sawyer joined “The Flash” in season 4 as Ralph Dibney, a.k.a. Elongated Man, and has been a series regular for the past two seasons. Season 6 finished airing just over a month ago.

The show’s executive producer Eric Wallace issued his own statement on Sawyer’s firing, saying that his posts are “indicative of the larger problem in our country.”

https://twitter.com/ewrote/status/1270054340607143937?s=20

News of his firing comes less than a week after a writer and producer on the upcoming Chris Meloni-centered “Law & Order” spinoff was also fired for his offensive posts on social media.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

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