Sheryl Underwood is one of television’s beloved comedians and hosts, but underneath her funny persona is a past trauma. The former co-host of The Talk lost her late husband in 1990, which became the punchline of several jokes during the May 2026 Netflix special The Roast of Kevin Hart.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe cracked a joke about Sheryl’s late husband, sparking extensive backlash online. He quipped, “Her husband committed suicide 3 years into the marriage. I’ve been sitting next to her for 2 hours, and I have to ask: how did he last that long?”
Host Shane Gillis also commented on Sheryl’s past tragedy by joking, “Sheryl’s husband killed himself. Apparently, Black does crack if it’s married to Sheryl and jumps off a f**king roof.”
Sheryl Underwood at #KevinHartRoast: “Freedom of speech is alive today. It showed we can all come together and crack jokes on each other and still respect each other.” pic.twitter.com/2rEf0JbWy7
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) May 11, 2026
“The Golden State Warriors logo is a bridge. Don’t show that to Sheryl’s husband,” Shane joked. “Seriously, keep that bridge away from Sheryl’s husband.”
Fortunately, throughout all the jokes, Sheryl was seen laughing from her seat, and Shane even said, “I called her yesterday. Shut up. I felt terrible about that. I had to call her. She was crazy about it. She was like, ‘You gonna make fun of my husband who fell off a bridge?’ I was like, ‘Yup.’”
Below, learn what happened to Sheryl’s late husband, Michael.
