Actor Grant Gustin has responded after news hit the web that his The Flash costar Hartley Sawyer was fired for alleged racist tweets.
Reposting a statement made by Showrunner Eric Wallace, the actor wrote, “I don’t have much to add because Eric’s thoughts are stated so eloquently and powerfully. I will say I was shocked, saddened and angry when I saw the tweets. Words matter.”
“This morning, many of you learned that Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash. Concerning his social media tweets, they broke my heart and made me mad as Hell. And they’re indicative of the larger problem in our country. Because at present, our country still accepts and protects the continual harassment — unconscious or otherwise — terrorizing and brutalizing of Black and Brown people, which is far too often fatal,” Eric said. “That’s why our country is standing up once again and shouting, ‘Enough!’ and taking to the streets to bring about active change.”
“I, too, am committed to bringing permanent change to the work environment here on The Flash. Yes, this is a family show, but it’s for all families. That includes Black and Brown ones,” he continued. “In order to facilitate this, 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.”
According to Hollywood Reporter, the tweets, all which were posted before he joined the CW series, made references to sexual assault and contained racist and homophobic language. Hartley, who played Ralph Dibny in the show, has since deleted his entire Twitter account.
Hartley later apologized for his remarks, writing on Instagram, “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,” he added. “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.”
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