In the midst of a wave of protests over the death of George Floyd in the United States, The CW has decided to fire The Flash actor Hartley Sawyer in light of racist and misogynistic tweets the interpreter posted in the past.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sawyer has already removed his profile, which contained jokes about sexual assault, racism, and homophobia. In response to these tweets, The CW and showrunner Eric Wallace have released a joint statement explaining why he was fired from the series.
“Hartley Sawyer will not return for the seventh season of The Flash,” the statement said. “With respect to Mr. Sawyer’s posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory comments directed at any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender or sexual orientation. Such comments are antithetical to our values ​​and policies, which strive and evolve to promoting a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce. “
The tweets that led to Sawyer’s firing were largely written between 2011 and 2014. “If I had a wife, I’d beat her up a lot tonight,” he once wrote in 2012. “The only thing keeping me from making slightly racist tweets is knowing Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me, “he said, referring to a well-known black American activist.
For his part, the actor has also spoken about it. “I am not here to make excuses. Regardless of intention, my words matter and have profound consequences. And mine can and have caused pain and embarrassment, along with feelings I cannot imagine, for my fans and fans, my castmates. , the team, my colleagues and friends. I owe everyone an apology, “he said on Instagram.
Sawyer joined The Flash in Season 4 as Ralph Dibny, aka Elongated Man, and became a regular character. So much so that Dibny took a central role in season 6 and his romance with Sue Dearbon was expected to play a major role in the next installment. It remains to be seen whether the network will search for another actor for the role or simply remove the character from the plot.
