Hartley Sawyer has been fired from ‘The Flash’ after a number of his offensive tweets were discovered.
The 35-year-old actor joined the series as Ralph Dibny in 2017 but Warner Bros. Television moved quickly to permanently axe him after previous racist and misogynistic tweets were unearthed.
Warner Bros. Television, The CW, Berlanti Productions and executive producer Eric Wallace said in a joint statement: "Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven 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."
Tweets from Sawyer’s account – which has now been deleted – included: "The only thing stopping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me", "Date rape myself so I don’t have to masturbate", "If I had a wife I would beat the hell out of her tonight lol", "Out at dinner and just exposed myself as a racist, AGAIN", and "just kidding I don’t care and f*gs are fine but sports often make me snore (sic)."
Hartley issued an apology for the tweets via his Instagram page on May 30, writing: "My words, irrelevant of being meant with an intent of humor, were hurtful, and unacceptable. I am ashamed I was capable of these really horrible attempts to get attention at that time. I regret them deeply.
"This was not acceptable behavior. These were words I threw out at the time with no thought or recognition of the harm my words could do, and now have done today.
"I am incredibly sorry, ashamed and disappointed in myself for my ignorance back then. I want to be very clear: this is not reflective of what I think or who I am now.
"Years ago, thanks to friends and experiences who helped me to open my eyes, I began my journey into becoming a more responsible adult – in terms of what I say, what I do, and beyond. I’ve largely kept that journey private, and this is another way that I have let so many down. I still have more work to do.
"But how I define myself now does not take away the impact of my words, or my responsibility for them. I am very sorry (sic)."
Meanwhile, ‘The Flash’ showrunner Wallace took to Twitter to share that Sawyer’s tweets "broke my heart and made me mad as hell".
He added: "And they’re indicative of the larger problem in our country. Because, at our present, our country still accepts and protects the continual harassment – unconscious or otherwise – terrorizing and brutalizing of Black and Brown people, which is far too often fatal. That’s why our country is standing up once again and shouting, ‘ENOUGH!’ and taking to the streets to bring about active change.
"Yes, this is a family show. But it’s for all families. That includes Black and Brown ones. In order to facilitate this, I will continue to find Black and Brown writers, directors, actors and producers of all genders to help tell Flash stories. Their stories are part of the American narrative, too and must be heard. And the more you hear and see us, the more you will begin to recognize one simple fact: We’re human beings too (sic)."