Hartley Sawyer Fired From 'The Flash' For Inappropriate Tweets

As first reported by THR, Hartley Sawyer has been fired from The Flash after racist and misogynistic tweets resurfaced online from as early as 2009.

A lot of the aforementioned posts can be seen via Twitter user @themirrorin6x17 or this Reddit thread. Some of the tweets can be seen below:

Hartley Sawyer (Elongated Man) has been fired from CW's 'THE FLASH' following a series of tweets referencing assault, misogyny, homophobic slurs, and racism. #TheFlash

— DC Universe (@DCEUPosts) June 8, 2020

Over the last few weeks, these posts began to circulate around the internet. This led to Sawyer issuing an apology on Instagram:

View this post 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. 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.

A post shared by Hartley Sawyer (@hartleysawyer) on May 30, 2020 at 11:59am PDT

The CW, WB TV, Berlanti Productions, and The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace put out the following statement on Sawyer’s exit:

“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash. 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 went on to elaborate on the decision to let Sawyer go:

My statement regarding Hartley Sawyer and THE FLASH.

— Eric Wallace (@ewrote) June 8, 2020

The Flash star Grant Gustin fully backed Wallace’s comments, stating:

“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.”

Hartley Sawyer was brought onto the hit CW series in 2017 to play Ralph Dibny/the Elongated Man and has been a major player ever since. The sixth season finale continued Ralph’s on-going storyline with Sue Dearbon. As of this writing, it’s unknown if The CW will recast the role or write the character off completely. With the character’s ability to change his face, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to recast and move forward with that storyline.

Do you agree with CW’s decision to fire Hartley Sawyer? Should the network recast or write the character off the series completely? Let us know in the comments below.