Why ‘The Flash’ Fired Elongated Man Actor Hartley Sawyer; Showrunner Speaks Out

Hartley Sawyer played the Elongated Man/Ralph Dibny on “The Flash,” but his time on the CW superhero drama has been cut short. The actor was fired on Monday.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sawyer’s now-deleted Twitter account contained messages that “make references to sexual assault and contain racist and homophobic language.”

"Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for Season 7 of The Flash," a statement from The CW, Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions and showrunner Eric Wallace confirmed. "In regards to Mr. Sawyer's posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Such remarks are antithetical to our values and policies, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce."

Wallace added more on social media in an extended message. “Concerning his social media tweets, they broke my heart and made me mad as hell. And they’re indicative of the larger problem in our country. Because at present, our country still accepts and protects the continual harassment—unconscious or otherwise—terrorizing and brutalizing of Black and Brown people, which is far too often fatal.”

The executive producer went on to state that he is “committed to bringing permanent change to the work environment” on “The Flash” set. He promised to hire more diverse writers, directors, actors and producers moving forward.

See Wallace’s full statement below:

The actor’s tweets, which seem to be mostly from 2011-2014, have been saved via screenshot and posted on social media. “Outside of the 7-11 where I assaulted my ex girlfriend lol,” one image from December 2012 reads.

“Enjoyed a secret boob viewing at an audition today,” a capture from February 2014 states.

Sawyer apologized for the old tweets on Instagram.