Henry Robert Witherspoon was the father of Kevin Hart, the superstar comedian and actor. Henry Witherspoon had Hart when he was in his 30s and tried his best to be a good dad. Unfortunately, he had a drug addiction problem, which affected his relationship with his children. Henry Robert Witherspoon died in 2022
His drug problems also landed him in jail on multiple occasions. Such a background was enough to breed resentment and despair in Kevin Hart, but he chose to make lemonade out of the lemons life gave him. He regularly used his personal experience in his jokes on his way to becoming one of the most popular faces in modern-day Hollywood.
Now that he is at the top, Kevin Hart has also repaired his relationship with his dad before his death. Witherspoon was able to join him on several family occasions. He also joined him when he (Kevin) was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016.
Summary of Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Bio
- Full name: Henry Robert Witherspoon
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 17th of January 1947
- Date of Death: October 12, 2022
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Age at Death: 73 years old
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorns
- Sexual Orientation: straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: widowed
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Wife: Nancy Hart
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Children: Kevin Hart and Robert Hart
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Parents: Darnell Witherspoon and Rebecca Ababio
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 8
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Height in Centimetres: 172
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Weight: 70kg
- Henry Robert Witherspoon’s Net worth: $100k
- Famous for: Kevin Hart’s dad
Henry Robert Witherspoon is a Native of Philadelphia
Henry Robert Witherspoon was born on the 17th of January 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has African American ethnicity and American nationality. His father’s name is Darnell Witherspoon (1920 – 1999), while his mother’s name is Rebecca Ababio (1926 – 1998).
Not many details exist about Henry Robert Witherspoon’s early life, including his educational background. However, it is safe to conclude that he attended and got a high school education before striking out to earn a living through honest means.
He Has Two Sons, including Superstar Comedian, Kevin Hart
Despite his modest achievements in life, Henry Robert Witherspoon will be remembered as the father of Kevin Hart, the superstar comedian and actor. Kevin Hart was born in 1979 and started pursuing a career as a standup comedian in his early 20s. His initial attempts were unsuccessful, but he later improved with time and won several stand-up comedy competitions.
He then tried his hands at acting, scoring his breakthrough as Luke, an overly religious college student, in the TV series, Undeclared, in 2001. Since then, Kevin Hart has become an entertainment superstar conquering both the worlds of comedy and acting. On the movie scene, he has featured in the comedy blockbusters such as the Jumanji franchise, Think like a Man, Ride Along, and Little Fockers.
As a comedian, he has several standup specials and multiple comedy albums to his name. Henry Robert Witherspoon is also the father of another son named Robert. Robert was born in 1971 and fell in with gangs and drugs as a teenager. He later cleaned up his act and is now a professional pool player. He is not married yet, but he has a grown daughter.
Kevin Hart’s Dad Struggled with Drug Addiction After the Birth of Kevin
Henry Robert Witherspoon and Kevin Hart’s mom, Nancy Hart, got married sometime in the late 60s. They made their home in Philadelphia and welcomed their first son, Robert, in 1971. They then welcomed Kevin Hart in 1979. Henry Robert Witherspoon was a naturally loving dad who cared for his kids greatly, but he had one major problem – drug abuse.
He tried out heroin, coke, and crack at various times, which affected his behavior. It also impacted his relationship with his son naturally. On the positive side, he was the cool dad who was down for anything. However, on the negative side, he often embarrassed his kids by showing up disoriented and acting out at their school Spelling Bee competitions. He also stole $20 from his son on one occasion to buy drugs.
He Later Bailed on the Family and Landed in Jail Multiple Times
Henry Robert Witherspoon carried on with his outlandish behavior as his kids grew up, but they persistently forgave him. They loved him despite it all, but things later got worse after he abandoned the family. Kevin Hart was eight at the time, and the whole family responsibility fell on his mom.
She didn’t falter; instead, she committed to doing her best to ensure that her kids ended up as responsible and intelligent men. While Nancy Hart was busy raising her sons, Henry Robert Witherspoon continued with his drug habit. This landed him in jail for felonies on several occasions. It also made it difficult for him to live up to his fatherly responsibilities.
Though he tried as much as possible to maintain contact, Henry Robert Witherspoon wasn’t that present in Kevin Hart’s life during his formative years. The young boy missed his dad terribly, and he eventually found an outlet for his emotions by using his family background as the inspiration for his comedy routines.
Henry Robert Witherspoon has Mended Fences with His Son, and They Are Now Close
Despite his whole destructive drug habit and stints in jail, one thing that Henry Robert Witherspoon did right was to always maintain contact with his sons. On their part, they refused to give up on him, so when he committed to going to rehab, they paid for him to enter one. He successfully completed it with their help and support, and they bought him a house.
Henry Robert Witherspoon has been off drugs for several years now, and in that time, he has repaired his relationship with his superstar son. They regularly hang out together, with Hart sharing pictures of their jaunts on his social media pages. Witherspoon also regularly hangs out with his grandkids, including all four of Kevin Hart’s children and Robert’s daughter.
Henry Robert Witherspoon also joined his son on the red carpet when he received his coveted Hollywood walk of fame star on the 10th of October, 2016. Alongside them were his eldest son, Robert, and Oscar-winning actress, Halle Berry. Henry Robert Witherspoon also joined his famous son during an interview with Larry King Show in 2012.
During the show, father and son exhibited an excellent camaraderie, and Kevin Hart boldly told the whole world that he has an excellent relationship with his dad. The actor also stated that this was how it has always been despite the demons they struggled with in the past.
He is Reportedly in a Relationship with a Lady He Met in Rehab
Before his death, Henry Robert Witherspoon moved on with his life and commenced a romantic relationship with an amazing woman in 2016. He met her in rehab, and she helped him turn his life around.
His son, Kevin Hart, is happy with the new development and spoke about it in an interview with Howard Stern in 2016. The actor also revealed that he had chosen to take the positives away from the past. According to Hart, the fact that he saw firsthand the destructive effects of drugs made him avoid them entirely. It also inspired him to always be the best dad to his kids.
