What’s that saying? “Say it forget it, write it regret it.” The Flash actor Hartley Sawyer is feeling that today after old racist and misogynistic tweets of his resurfaced which has led to him being let go from the popular CW show.
A joint statement from Warner Bros. TV, The CW, Berlanti Productions and executive producer Eric Wallace had this to say about his termination:
“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 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 policies, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce.”
Sawyer’s Twitter account was quickly deleted but not before screenshots of the tweets could be picked up by the press. In one tweet, Sawyer wrote, “The only thing keeping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me.” All were posted before Sawyer joined The Flash. Sawyer’s firing also comes amid ongoing protests against systemic racism following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Sawyer, who has played Ralph Dibny, aka Elongated Man on The Flash for the past three seasons, posted an apology on Instagram with a caption that reads in part, “I’m not here to make excuses – regardless of the intention my words matter, and they carry profound consequences. And mine can and have caused pain and embarrassment, along with feelings I can only imagine, to supporters and fans, my cast mates, the crew, my colleagues and friends. I owe them all an apology. And I owe each of you an apology. Thank you for holding me accountable.” You can check out his full Instagram post below:
