'The Flash' Actor Fired As Racist & Misogynistic Tweets Resurface

Actor Hartley Sawyer, who played the role of Ralph Dibny aka Elongated Man on The Flash for the past three seasons has been fired after old social media posts with racist and misogynistic references recently resurfaced, Deadline has confirmed.

“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash,” according to a joint statement provided to Deadline from Warner Bros. TV, The CW, Berlanti Productions, and executive producer Eric Wallace. “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 has been deleted, but screenshots of the old posts have been circulating online. In one tweet, Sawyer wrote, “The only thing keeping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me.” All were posted before Sawyer joined The Flash. Sawyer’s firing also comes amid ongoing protests against systemic racism following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Sawyer posted an 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 castmates, 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 as a recurring in Season 5 and was later upped to series regular.

It was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.