Comedian Kevin Hart and his family are going through a difficult time after the comedian shared the heartbreaking news that his father, Henry Witherspoon, recently passed. The “Ride Along” star paid tribute to his pops via Instagram with a touching gallery of fond memories the two shared.
“RIP to one of the realest & rawest to ever do it…Love you dad,” Hart captioned the slideshow of photos of himself with his dad and their family during various outings. The actor wrote, “Gone but never forgotten….Give mom a hug for me….y’all did good man. Thank you for everything….I’m a better father because of you. We will all make you proud….”
In the caption, Hart also mentioned his mom, Nancy Hart, who passed in 2007.
The 43-year-old star was met with an outpouring of love and support from Hollywood friends and, of course, his fan base who knew Witherspoon, thanks to the elaborate stories Hart told through his various standup comedy specials such as “Laugh at my Pain” and “I’m a Grown Little Man.”
“Sorry for your loss Kevin,” wrote one fan. “He was well adored from the stories you shared through stand up.” Another person commented, “Some of my favorite bits of yours is when you talk about your dad. RIP.”
A third supporter wrote, “He done walked into heaven like alright alright alright!!!! ” referencing one of Hart’s popular bits about his father and their unique relationship over the years. “This stopped me in my tracks like I knew him personally,” another fan shared. “Love to you and your family. Your relationship taught the importance of forgiveness. Thank you.
Hart was often vocal about his once-strained relationship with his father and how their experience taught him to be a father.
“My kids actually think I’m the coolest dad on the planet,” the actor said during an appearance on :The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” “I know why I am the way that I am; my dad has a lot to do with that — the mistakes that my dad made, you know, the decisions to do drugs, being in and out of jail, in and out of our lives. I saw firsthand what not being present did, and because of that, I now know what being present means.”
He added, “I know what that can do; I know what effect it can have on your child coming up.”
Details surrounding the nature of Witherspoon’s passing have yet to be disclosed.
