‘The Flash’ actor Hartley Sawyer has been fired from the series after racist and homophobic tweets the actor made prior to joining the series, resurface.
“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash,” said a statement from The CW, producers Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions and executive producer Eric Wallace. “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.”
As ‘CNN’ reports, last week actress Skai Jackson tweeted screengrabs of several of the Sawyer's purported tweets, writing “Hartley Sawyer, you have been exposed…”
One shows a tweet from 2012 which read, “The only thing keeping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me” and another from 2014 which read, “Enjoyed a secret boob viewing at an audition today.”
Two other tweets from 2012 read, “As a lad, one of my favorite activities was kidnapping homeless women and cutting off their breasts” and “Date rape myself so I don't have to masturbate.”
In a statement, the 35-year-old actor said he was ashamed that he was “capable of these really horrible attempts to get attention.”
“I'm not here to make excuses - regardless of the intention, my words matter and they carry profound consequences,” the statement read. “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,” he added. “Thank you for holding me accountable.”
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