Joe Rogan Condemns “Traitor” Comedians Over Roast Joke Backlash

Joe Rogan strongly defended roast comedy on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” criticizing fellow comedians who publicly condemned jokes from Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart.” Rogan argued that people who do not enjoy roasts can simply opt out, but comedians who attack roast performers for using harsh material are betraying the format they work in. He said roast comedy is built on cruelty, exaggeration, and insult, and that critics should not pretend the performers are literal racists just because the jokes are offensive. Rogan also spoke in support of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who became the center of the backlash after delivering a widely criticized George Floyd joke during the roast.

The controversy erupted after Hinchcliffe’s set on the Kevin Hart roast, which featured a star-studded lineup including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tom Brady, Jeff Ross, Chelsea Handler, Pete Davidson, Lizzo, Katt Williams, Draymond Green, Sheryl Underwood, Regina Hall and host Shane Gillis. Hinchcliffe’s joke about George Floyd drew immediate outrage online and among several viewers, with many calling it racist and deeply insensitive. The moment quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the event and overshadowed much of the rest of the special.

Rogan defended the idea that roast material is intentionally harsh and should be judged within that context rather than as ordinary conversation. He said audiences may disagree with specific jokes or feel that some lines go too far, but he rejected what he described as attempts to label roast comedians as actual racists simply because they are performing in a format built around provocation. He used combat sports as an analogy, comparing roast comedy to cage fighting, where the performance depends on intensity and aggression.

Hinchcliffe’s history also intensified the reaction. The comedian, known for his podcast “Kill Tony,” has built a reputation around dark, politically incorrect humor. He was previously dropped by his agency in 2021 after a video of him mocking an Asian American comic spread online, and he later caused further controversy in 2024 when he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Trump rally. His Floyd joke on the Kevin Hart roast was not even his first such reference in a Netflix roast; at “The Roast of Tom Brady” in 2024, he made another Floyd-related joke about Rob Gronkowski.

The family of George Floyd also responded sharply. Travis Cains, a spokesman for The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation, told TMZ that Kevin Hart’s acceptance of the joke was “sad for the culture.” The family questioned why the joke was permitted at all, given Hinchcliffe’s prior history. They also pointed out that Floyd’s daughter, Gianna Floyd, is now 12 and has reportedly faced bullying related to continued public jokes about her father’s death. Floyd’s brother also condemned the remark as disrespectful.

Rogan’s guest on the episode, comedian Harland Williams, said he was not fully comfortable with the crueler side of roast humor, but he still defended the broader cultural role of the format. He said he liked “The Roast of Tom Brady” and believed roast comedy helped push back against overly cautious comedy standards.