Wanda Sykes Explains Why She Skipped Kevin Hart’s Roast, And Claps Back at Bill Maher

Wanda Sykes has no regrets. Specifically, the Emmy-winning comic turned down a spot on Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart.

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During a recent appearance on Vulture’s Good One podcast, Sykes revealed that Hart personally invited her. However, she declined immediately.

“Kevin called me before it was announced, and I said, ‘No!’ He said, ‘Come on, Wanda. It’ll be good for your special.’ I said, ‘Kevin, you know I love you man, but…’ He goes, ‘I know, I know it’s not your thing.'”

Instead of attending the roast, the comedienne went to a Los Angeles Sparks game. She also criticized the quality of modern roasts.

“Seems like the roasts, they’re just recycled sexist, racist, gay jokes. Like, come on.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, she addressed a joke she made about Bill Maher at the 2026 Golden Globes. She quipped that she would love “a little less” of him. Maher approached her after the ceremony.

“He was like, ‘What was that about?’ I said, ‘It’s a joke, Bill.’ He said, ‘It wasn’t even a joke.’ I said, ‘Oh no, I heard laughing. It was clearly a joke.'”

Maher then asked her to appear on his podcast. Sykes responded: “Absolutely not!”