Hartley Sawyer, who has been playing Ralph Dibny, aka Elongated Man, on the last three seasons of the CW series “The Flash,” was fired after the recent resurfacing of old social media posts with misogynistic and racist references, Deadline confirmed.
“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash,” a joint statement from Warner Bros.TV, the CW, Berlanti Productions and Eric Wallace, executive producer provided to Deadline.
“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.”
Sawyer ‘s Twitter account was taken down, but screenshots from the old posts got spread like fire on the internet. All were posted before Sawyer joined “The Flash.” The firing of Sawyer also comes in the midst of ongoing protests against racial discrimination following the death by Minneapolis police of unarmed black man George Floyd.
Sawyer made a public apology on Instagram with a caption that reads in part, “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.”
Sawyer joined “The Flash” in Season 5 in a recurring role and was later upgraded to regular series.
The Hollywood Reporter first reports on his firing.