A joke targeting First Lady Melania Trump was among several wisecracks scrapped before cameras rolled at the Netflix roast of Kevin Hart, a special that was already packed with some of the sharpest comedy on television.
The roast, hosted by Shane Gillis and streamed on Netflix following its Sunday taping, featured a panel of prominent comedians including Pete Davidson, Chelsea Handler, Regina Hall, Draymond Green, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Sheryl Underwood. Each took turns skewering Hart and one another in the classic celebrity-roast format.
After the event, comedy writer Madison Sinclair, one of the writers behind the roast, shared a selection of rejected jokes with Variety, including the Melania quip that never made it to air.
The joke took aim at comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who drew widespread backlash in 2024 after comparing Puerto Rico to “garbage” during a Trump campaign rally. The unaired line read: “Tony is like Melania: The only thing relevant about him is that he opened for Trump once.”
It remains unclear exactly why the joke was pulled. However, its revelation comes at a politically charged moment. President Trump and the First Lady have recently called on Disney and ABC to terminate late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke he made about Melania at a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, days before a shooting at the actual event.
During his monologue, Kimmel joked that Melania had the glow of an “expectant widow.” When footage of the bit resurfaced after the shooting, Melania urged ABC to “take a stand” and pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air entirely. Trump echoed the demand on Truth Social, writing: “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
The situation echoes an earlier controversy: Kimmel had previously been suspended after remarks about right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk’s killing, in which he suggested the “MAGA gang” was attempting to score political points from the tragedy. That suspension drew swift condemnation from Hollywood figures and politicians alike — including former President Barack Obama, who raised concerns about free speech.
Beyond the Melania joke, several other bits were also cut from the Kevin Hart roast, including material referencing Lizzo’s weight, the #MeToo movement, and Hart’s appearance at the Saudi government-funded Riyadh Comedy Festival last fall.
Hart, 46, sat center stage throughout the roast and appeared largely unfazed by the jokes that did make the final cut. The Roast of Kevin Hart is now streaming on Netflix.