The Flash” actor Hartley Sawyer, has been ousted after ‘unacceptable’ racist tweets come to light.
Hartley Sawyer, who plays Ralph Dibny/The Elongated Man on The CW series, has been ousted after several problematic Twitter posts recently resurfaced.
Though the Sawyer’s Twitter account no longer exists, but The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly report his posts, shared prior to his work on “The Flash,” were racist, homophobic, sexist and made reference to sexual assault.
“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash,” read a statement issued to USA TODAY by the network, Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Eric Wallace, an executive producer for the show.
“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.”
Sawyer, 35, has issued an apology on May 30 via Instagram expressing remorse to his fans.
He wrote –
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.
