‘Growth Is Real, Lil Bro’: Kevin Hart and Mike Epps Bury the Hatchet After Five-Year Feud

Kevin Hart and Mike Epps have made amends. “Amen,” says Earthquake. “We’re not rappers.”

Late last week, Hart formally announced the end to his acrimony with the Next Friday star by returning to the place where the war began half a blood-soaked decade ago — Instagram. Back in 2018, Epps posted a photo taken with Eddie Murphy on the platform, which invited one user to comment, “Eddie Murphy funnier than Kevin Hart still.” Epps replied simply, “Sh-t everybody is.” Over the next few weeks, Epps and Hart would trade shade and slander like a pair of junior high schoolers who haven’t yet realized that colleges and employers can and will find their old tweets. 

Though the two titans never came to blows, the cold war between Hart and Epps raged for years before a behind-the-scenes peace summit happened sometime last year. Then, the two publicly made peace on Friday, with Hart proclaiming, “So happy that me and my comedy brother @therealmikeepps were able to settle our differences and look at the bigger picture.” Now all that’s left is for Ice Cube to announce Friday 4 starring Hart — and maybe The Rock too, while he’s at it.

“Growth is real lil bro I look forward to what’s to come let’s tear shit up,” Epps wrote under the post, a stark change in tone from his previous Hart-related Instagram comments. When the two first came to social media blows back in 2018, Epps tried to ease tensions by claiming that he makes fun of everybody and Hart shouldn’t take it personally, telling Hart, “You seem to be a great person… but I still don’t think yo ass funny.”

Hart, on the other hand, was unimpressed with Epps’ attempted diffusion, telling him, “All I can say is that (you’re) a sad individual. I talked to you several times face-to-face in attempts to put the B.S. behind us. I even reached out to u like a man and tried to get to the bottom of the bitterness.”

However, since at least last year when Hart discussed Epps on the popular podcast Drink Champs, the two have agreed to let go of the grudge. The post on Friday proves that some beefs can be squashed through growth and maturity — though not all. Michael Blackson commented on the post, “Me and Katt (Williams) next lol. Pray for me.”