(Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File/Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Kevin Hart is changing his tune about Starbucks amid Russell Simmons calling on him to boycott the chain.
The comedian tweeted Sunday, April 15 that the coffee house didn’t deserve a boycott after two Black men were accused of trespassing and were arrested in Philadelphia last week.
“Let’s make one thing very clear….This is not a boycott @Starbucks situation….This is horrible management,” he said. “The manager on duty was wrong. It’s that simple…That’s who needs to take responsibility for this wrongdoing.”
In response, Russell Simmons called on Hart to back “Black Tuesday” and join the boycott against the coffee chain.
“Dear @kevinhart4real we may need your help on Black Tuesday,” Simmons said in what appears to be a now-deleted post. “We need to teach these companies to respect us and our buying power. LOVE YOU, no disrespect.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhpCErgjxgx/
It seems the posts could have assisted in Hart changing his mind. The comic posted a series of tweets blasting Starbucks for failing to call the incident racist when CEO Kevin Johnson apologized on “Good Morning America.”
“I was simply saying not to boycott before seeing what the company was going to do….after watching the interview that the CEO of @Starbucks did on @GMA I feel that they failed in doing what they should have done,” he added. “Now actions can be taken…”
Still, he urged his followers to reflect on the amount of non-white people who are Starbucks employees and how their livelihood would be affected by a boycott.
I also felt that the company should of stood up and addressed the matter and made us feel comfortable in understanding that this wrong doing would never happen again…and that they should of addressed the victims with a apology etc
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) April 16, 2018
The last thing that I will say on this matter is..before we jump out the gate with anger sometimes it’s ok to think first…how many people of color are employed by that company? How many families are being taken care of because of the income that’s being provided by said company
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) April 16, 2018
In the meantime, others have chimed in on Hart’s newest remarks.
“Another thing. Former employees are tweeting that this is not an isolated incident and that the discrimination goes up the ladder,” someone said.
“Lol nobody is boycotting Starbucks, that is like boycotting your drug dealer,” another tweeted.
“The employee who started this needs to be addressed…#SoWrong” someone else wrote.
