Kevin Hart announced his father’s death, Henry Witherspoon, in a touching Instagram tribute Wednesday.
The 43-year-old comedian posted a carousel of photos of his father with a caption promising to make his father “proud.”
RIP to one of the realest & rawest to ever do it…Love you dad. 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….
According to ET Online, Hart mended his relationship with his father in 2017. He said that his father made him a better dad because he learned the value of being “present” in his children’s lives.
“My kids actually think I’m the coolest dad on the planet. … 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. I know what that can do, I know what effect it can have on your child coming up,” Hart said on a 2017 appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
Hart did not say how his father died but said in 2019 that his father had battled lung cancer. His mother, Nancy, died in 2007.
Here are some memorable photos of comedian and actor Kevin Hart through the years.
2003: Actor Kevin Hart and his wife Toree arrive at the Fox TV Emmy After Party at Mortons on September 21, 2003, in West Hollywood, California.
2004: Actors Tom Arnold, Mo’Nique and Kevin Hart attend the world premiere of the MGM Pictures’ film "Soul Plane" on May 17, 2004, at the Mann Village Theatre, in Westwood, California.
2005: Actor Kevin Hart attends the "In the Mix" premiere after party at Marquee November 16, 2005, in New York City.
2007: Host Kevin Hart performs on stage during a live taping of MTV’s "Celebrity Rap Superstar" September 27, 2007, at the Culver Studios in Culver City, California.
2008: Actor Kevin Hart (left) and singer Mel B present the Best Male Athlete award onstage during the 2008 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 24, 2008, in Los Angeles.
2010: Comedian Kevin Hart attends the world premiere of "Little Fockers" at Ziegfeld Theatre on December 15, 2010, in New York City.
2011: Kevin "Chocolate Droppa" Hart (left) and rapper Wiz Khalifa speak onstage during the BET Awards ’11 held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26, 2011, in Los Angeles.
2012: Host Kevin Hart speaks onstage during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center on September 6, 2012, in Los Angeles.
2013: Actor Kevin Hart attends the "Grudge Match" screening benefiting the Tribeca Film Insititute at Ziegfeld Theater on December 16, 2013, in New York City.
2014: Actor Kevin Hart (right) and Eniko Parrish attend the BET AWARDS ’14 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles.
2015: Actor Kevin Hart attends the 87th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015, in Hollywood, California.
2016: Actor Kevin Hart (right) and Eniko Parrish attends the 88th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California.
2017: Dwayne Johnson (left) and Kevin Hart attend the "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" UK premiere held at Vue West End on December 7, 2017, in London.
2018: Kevin Hart attends the WSJ Tech D.Live at Montage Laguna Beach on November 13, 2018, in Laguna Beach, California.
2019: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart attend the "Jumanji: The Next Level" UK Film Premiere at BFI Southbank on December 5, 2019, in London.
2020: Kevin Hart of "Dave" speaks during the FX segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 9, 2020, in Pasadena, California.
2021: Kevin Hart, Matthew Broderick, Eric Newman and Billy Zane attend Netflix’s True Story Screening hosted by Kevin Hart and Eric Newman on November 18, 2021, in New York City.
2022: Hendrix Hart, Heaven Hart, Eniko Hart and Kevin Hart attend the 2022 HARTBEAT Brunch at Goldstein Residence on May 7, 2022, in Beverly Hills, California.
