Six years after the killing of George Floyd ignited worldwide protests over policing and racial injustice, his brother, Philonise “PJ” Floyd, issued a public rebuke of jokes made about Floyd during The Roast of Kevin Hart, the comedy event released this month on Netflix.
In a lengthy Instagram statement posted Monday, the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, Philonise Floyd criticized the use of his brother’s killing as comedic material and argued that public discussion surrounding the case has increasingly drifted from human tragedy toward entertainment and internet spectacle.
“My brother, George Floyd, was 46 years old when four Minneapolis police officers murdered him on May 25, 2020,” Floyd wrote.
He described again the circumstances of the killing, including former officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck for “9 minutes and 29 seconds” while other officers restrained him and prevented bystanders from intervening.
Floyd repeated several of his brother’s final statements, including “I can’t breathe” and “Tell my kids I love them,” emphasizing that those moments were not abstractions or political symbols. “Those were not opinions,” he wrote. “Those were facts.”
Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s Brother, Addresses Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart Jokes
His remarks came in response to backlash surrounding comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during the roast special centered on Kevin Hart. Though roast comedy traditionally relies on provocation and insult, Floyd argued that references to George Floyd’s death crossed a line for a family still grappling with grief.
“At some point y’all have to stop playing with us,” he wrote. “Real pain is not comedy to our family.”
At another point in the statement, Floyd accused comedians and online commentators of embracing cruelty for humor while objecting when criticism targets them personally. His response included sharp, vulgar sarcasm directed at Hinchcliffe, highlights his anger over the joke and the broader online treatment of George Floyd.
Still, Floyd framed his statement less as retaliation than as an appeal for empathy. “I’m speaking from the heart, not from hate,” he wrote.
Floyd’s statement adds to the public controversies, as relatives who continue living with trauma years after the headlines fade.
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