Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast generated plenty of headlines on Sunday night, but one moment cut deeper than most. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe faced backlash after making multiple jokes about the suicide of Sheryl Underwood’s late husband, Michael Sparkman, during the live event at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
As theGrio previously reported, the roast also produced a reconciliation moment between Hart and Katt Williams, who appeared to bury their long-running public feud in front of a national audience, and Underwood has been open over the years about the many chapters of her personal life. Complex reported that the exchange about Underwood’s late husband became one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
Tony Hinchcliffe did not hold back at the Kevin Hart roast 😭
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 11, 2026
“Her (Sheryl Underwood) husband commited suicide 3 years into the marriage, I’ve been sitting next to her for 2 hours and I have to ask how did he last that long” pic.twitter.com/N1cz0TqgFE
Hinchcliffe delivered the line during his set on the dais. “Her husband committed suicide three years into the marriage,” Hinchcliffe said. “I’ve been sitting next to her for two hours, and I have to ask: how did he last that long?” Cameras cut to Underwood, who appeared to laugh along with the crowd. It was the kind of moment that the roast format technically permits, but that still left many viewers unsettled.
She did not let it go unanswered. Underwood fired back with her own roast response: “Question for the day is, who has had more Black d—k in this town? Me or Chelsea Handler? The answer is Tony Hinchcliffe,” she said.
Host Shane Gillis also referenced the tragedy earlier in the evening, joking about Underwood’s husband jumping from a building before tying another line to the Golden State Warriors logo featuring the Bay Bridge. Gillis also had a tense exchange with Chelsea Handler that drew its own headlines.
Underwood has spoken publicly about losing her husband for years. Sparkman died by suicide in 1990 after battling depression, three years into their marriage. Speaking on “The Talk” in 2018 after the death of fashion designer Kate Spade, she became emotional while discussing the lasting impact the loss left on her. “That pain … it doesn’t go away,” she said at the time. She also revealed he left behind a note, saying “the person who is no longer alive has now had the final word.”
Speaking with TMZ after the roast, Underwood didn’t mind the jokes possibly deemed “inappropriate” and took the ones aimed at her in stride, saying, “Freedom of speech is alive and well at Netflix.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. In the United States and Canada, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
