Harley Sawyer will no longer reprise his role as the Elongated Man in The Flash season 7. The decision was made after Sawyer was called out for posting controversial tweets.
Before Hartley Sawyer gained immense popularity in CW’s superhero series The Flash, he tweeted racist and misogynist things. The tweets made references to sexual assault and contained homophobic language.
The actor has already deleted the account, which contained these contentious tweets. However, these old posts have emerged online. The actress Skai Jackson even took to Twitter to reveal the screenshots of Sawyer’s tweets. She captioned:
“Hartley Sawyer, you have been exposed.”
https://twitter.com/skaijackson/status/1269017350730211329
Hartley Sawyer apologizes
Shortly after the tweets surfaced, Hartley Sawyer issued an apology on his official Instagram account. He wrote:
“I’m not here to make excuses. Regardless of the intention, my words matter and they carry profound consequences. 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. Thank you for holding me accountable.”
The Flash showrunner confirmed Hartley Sawyer’s dismissal
Eric Wallace, the executive producer of The Flash, released a statement regarding the matter. He revealed that Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash. The showrunner further stated:
“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.”
Eric Wallace shows support for the Black Lives Matter movement
After Wallace released the statement, he revealed on his official Twitter account that Sawyer’s tweets broke his heart and made him mad as hell. Moreover, he declared that they were indicative of the larger problem in the country.
Thus, Wallace announced that he is committed to bringing permanent change to the work environment of The Flash. The showrunner unveiled that he will continue to find Black and Brown writers, directors, actors, and producers of all genders to help tell The Flash stories.
Wallace further said in his tweet:
“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.”
The executive producer ended his tweet with a statement that supported the Black Lives Matter movement. He also wrote on the bottom of his tweet the #BlackLivesMatter, which supports the aforementioned campaign.
https://twitter.com/ewrote/status/1270054340607143937
Grant Gustin Reacts to Hartley Sawyer’s exit
The Flash lead actor Grant Gustin did not have a longer follow-up to Wallace’s statement. He just praised the showrunners’ thoughts for being so eloquent and powerful. He further wrote on his Instagram story:
“I will say I was shocked, saddened and angry when I saw the tweets. Words matter.”
Image Courtesy of US Weekly/YouTube Screenshot