Old tweets strike again. Actor Hartley Sawyer has been fired from The Flash after several tweets with misogynist and racist references resurfaced. According the The Hollywood Reporter, the tweets were written before he joined the CW show as Ralph Dibny a.k.a. the Elongated Man. They make reference to sexual assault and contain racist and homophobic language. In one from 2014, he wrote “Enjoyed a secret boob viewing at an audition today.†In another, he says “The only thing keeping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me.â€
After the tweets circulated for two weeks, the CW released a statement announcing Sawyer’s departure from the show on Monday, June 8. “Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash,†reads the statement, obtained by THR. “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.†In a tweet, the showrunner Eric Wallace expressed his personal disappointment. “Concerning his social media tweets, they broke my heart and made me mad as hell,†he wrote, in part. “And they’re indicative of the larger problem in our country.â€
Sawyer himself released an apology on Instagram. “My words, irrelevant of being meant with an intent of humor, were hurtful, and unacceptable,†he said. “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.†Listen, if Skai Jackson herself tries to get you canceled, you gotta just take the L.