Kevin Hart Is Mourning A Tragic Loss
Kevin Hart is proving that even the funniest people can face heartbreaking moments. The comedian's sets have routinely featured humorous accounts of his childhood, poking fun at his parents and his own mistakes as a father to four.
His comedic takes on fatherhood are an active effort on his part to focus on the positive, despite a fraught relationship with his father, Henry Witherspoon. In a conversation with Stephen Colbert (via ET), he shared, "I don't have time to be angry." Though he grew up with Witherspoon "being in and out of jail, in and out of [his family's] lives," he forgave his dad and used the lessons he learned to be a better father himself.
Indeed, Hart's improved relationship was evidenced throughout his career. In a Netflix special, he shared hilarious stories of phone conversations with his father. When appearing on "The Howard Stern Show," Hart recounted different times Witherspoon was a "cool dad" — often to a fault. Now, Hart is once again taking the time to honor and reflect on his father's life, for tragic reasons.
Kevin Hart shared his father's death on Instagram
Kevin Hart took to Instagram on October 12 to share the news that his father, Henry Witherspoon, had died. He posted a series of touching photos with his dad throughout the years, and honored his life in the caption. "RIP to one of the realest & rawest to ever do it...Love you dad," he said. "Give mom a hug for me...y'all did good man. I'm a better father because of you." Hart did not reveal his father's cause of death.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Witherspoon was 73 years old. His death comes 15 years after the passing of Hart's mother, who had ovarian cancer.
Fellow comedians quickly flocked to the comments to offer words of support. Chelsea Handler wrote, "Oh, sorry, Kev. He wouldn't have left you before he knew you were good." Fellow Netflix staple Hasan Minhaj wrote, "Blessings bro. Love to you and the fam." Rapper T-Pain also chimed in, with a touching reminder of just how far Hart has come: "I glad he got to see you on top of the world bro."