Tony Hinchcliffe was a polarizing figure in stand-up comedy long before his May 2026 appearance on Kevin Hart’s roast.
Hinchcliffe is a dark humor and insult-based comedian who has found himself in hot water over the years. In 2021, Hinchcliffe used an anti-Asian slur against a Chinese American comedian who opened for him. As a result, Hinchcliffe was dropped from his agency and lost multiple brand deals.
Following that scandal, Hinchcliffe was asked to perform at President Donald Trump’s 2024 rally in New York City. The comedian made a controversial remark about Puerto Rico, again landing the comedian in hot water.
Despite his multiple controversies, Hinchcliffe participated in The Roast of Kevin Hart in May 2026. While Hinchcliffe was there to zing the actor, he ended up catching a few strays from Chelsea Handler and Pete Davidson.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Hinchcliffe:
Tony Hinchcliffe Is Known for Roast Comedy
Hinchcliffe got his start in comedy as a member of the writing staff for the Comedy Central Roast series. The comedian wrote jokes for the roasts of James Franco, Justin Bieber and Rob Lowe. He appeared on stage during the All Def Digital Roast of Snoop Dogg in 2016 and The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024.
Tony Hinchcliffe Is Friends With Joe Rogan
While embarking on his career as a stand-up comedian, Hinchcliffe got the chance to open for Rogan multiple times, which resulted in the pair forming a close friendship. Hinchcliffe has frequently appeared on Rogan’s podcast. Hinchcliffe also moved to Austin in 2020 to join Rogan’s comedy community.
Tony Hinchcliffe Has Multiple Comedy Specials and a Podcast
Hinchcliffe has released several comedy specials over the years, including One Shot on Netflix in 2016, Making Friends on YouTube in 2020, and Kill Tony: Kill or Be Killed on Netflix in 2025. He is also the host of his “Kill Tony” podcast.
Tony Hinchcliffe Got Backlash for Joking About Asian Stereotypes
In May 2021, video surfaced of Hinchcliffe insulting comedian Peng Dang during his show in Austin. Dang had just opened for Hinchcliffe before the comedian used a racial slur against Dang and mocked him with a series of Asian stereotypes. He also called audience members “race traitors” for laughing at Dang’s jokes.
The video went viral on social media and Hinchcliffe was subsequently dropped from his agency and several of his upcoming performances were canceled. Following the backlash, Hinchcliffe defended his remarks.
“What happened in May of 2021 was that I was playing a joke on stage with someone who knew me and knew my style,” he told Variety in April 2024. “And it was a time in which I think being a victim was looked at — as a — I don’t want to say a good thing, but it was something that people were utilizing to get their own names out there. I knew that what I had done was not wrong. It wasn’t even the worst thing I did that week.”
Hinchcliffe reiterated that he was joking and he would not apologize.
“It was so dumbfounding to me because it was a joke, and my stance is that comedians should never apologize for a joke, should never stop working if everyone comes after them and should never slow down,” he continued. “In fact, they should utilize anything that happens to them for more material. Real comedy fans see through it. They want that line. They know that line. And they love that line. That line is exactly where I love to exist, and I push that to the limits.”
Tony Hinchcliffe Made the Controversial Jokes at Donald Trump’s 2024 Rally
Three years after the racial slur backlash, Hinchcliffe was asked to perform at Trump’s rally in New York City ahead of the 2024 election. Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” He also made racist jokes about Latino, Black, Jewish and Palestinian people.
Hinchcliffe received backlash for his remarks. The Trump campaign distanced itself from the comedian in the aftermath, releasing a statement to PBS saying that Hinchcliffe’s jokes “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign”
Hinchcliffe did not apologize.
“I love Puerto Ricans, they’re very smart people,” he shared in a statement. “And I apologize to absolutely nobody.”
