Hartley Sawyer, an actor on the popular CW superhero series “The Flash,” has been fired after a slew of tweets, showing references to racist rhetoric and misogynistic statements, were unearthed on Twitter over the weekend.
“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash,” The CW, producers Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions, and executive producer Eric Wallace said in a statement to Fox News on Monday. “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,” the statement concludes.
“But how I define myself now does not take away the impact of my words, or my responsibility for them,” Sawyer concluded. “I am very sorry.”
“The Flash” showrunner Eric Wallace also tweeted a statement on Monday, stating that the tweets Sawyer wrote: “broke my heart and made me mad as hell.” Wallace added that the tweets are “indicative of the larger problem in our country.”
He went on to say that: “I, too, am committed to bringing permanent change to the work environment here on THE FLASH. … I will continue to find Black and Brown writers, directors, actors and producers of all genders to help tell FLASH stories. Their stories are part of the American narrative, too, and must be heard. And the more you hear and see us, the more you will begin to recognize one simple fact: We’re human beings, too.”
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