Kevin Hart’s father, Henry Witherspoon, recently passed away. On Wednesday, October 12th, 2022, the actor took to Instagram to announce the sad news of his father’s death.
Hart posted a series of touching photos of himself with his father to cherish their memories. In the pictures, Kevin and his father can be seen enjoying time with other family members.
In the post, the Jumanji star thanked his father “for everything.” He also asked his dad to “give a hug” to Kevin’s mother, Nancy, who died in 2007.
Prior to his father’s passing, Hart had opened up about Witherspoon during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He noted that he could be a great dad himself after learning from his father’s mistakes. Kevin said:
“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.”
Kevin went on to say that he had seen firsthand the effects of an absent father. Thanks to that, he knows what “being present means” for his kids and the positive impact it would have on them.
At the time, the actor also revealed that he had worked on improving his bond with Witherspoon. Hart said their relationship had taken an “amazing turn.” Stating he was strong enough to deal with the pain growing up, the positive actor chose “to go positive instead of negative.” Because of that outlook, Kevin said his “relationship with my dad is amazing now!”
Hart shared that before his death, his father was focused on becoming “the best grandparent.”
In ending the emotional tribute, Kevin Hart mentioned that he and his brother will continue to make their father proud.
Kevin Hart Parents
Kevin Hart was born to Nancy Hart and Henry Witherspoon on July 6th, 1979, in Philadelphia. He grew up with his older brother, Robert Hart.
The Hart brothers were raised by their single mother. Witherspoon was often in and out of prison due to addiction issues.
To support her sons, Nancy reportedly worked as a systems analyst at the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Student Registration and Financial Services.
Sadly, Nancy passed away in January 2007 at age 56 after battling ovarian cancer. Eventually, Kevin repaired his relationship with his father once Witherspoon recovered from addiction.
Kevin has shared a close bond with brother Robert over the years. Last year, Hart posted an Instagram tribute wishing Robert a happy 50th birthday.
However, in the 2019 Netflix documentary Don’t F**k This Up, Kevin revealed Robert’s troubled past. As a teen, his brother got involved with gangs, selling drugs.
Kevin stated Robert “made every mistake one could make” back then – he was in a gang, dealt drugs, and even tried to rob an old woman’s purse. After this incident, their mother took legal action. Kevin shared that Nancy got Robert emancipated from the family.
Kevin said his brother’s delinquency led his mother to become extremely strict with him growing up. She imposed a rigid routine, including early wake-up calls, after-school activities, and supervised movements. As Kevin tells it:
“Her routine for me went like this: we woke up at 6 in the morning, [and] I left to catch the school bus at 7. After school ended, I had to go to an extracurricular activity.”
Now sober, Robert has turned his life around. He is a professional pool player with a family of his own. He often spends time with his kids, nieces, and nephews.
Meanwhile, Kevin is a proud father of four children. He married Torrei Hart in 2003, and they had a daughter, Heaven (b. 2005), and a son, Hendrix (b. 2007), before divorcing in 2011.
In 2014, Kevin got engaged to Eniko Parrish. After a brief split due to Kevin’s infidelity, the two reconciled. They now have two children – son Kenzo Kash (b. 2017) and daughter Kaori May (b. 2020).
