Kevin Hart did not hold back when he came across his latest wax figure. The comedian, 47, posted a video to Instagram reacting to a new statue of himself at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The figure shows Hart dressed in a black T-shirt, black pants, a leather jacket, and a long gold chain. Hart’s response made clear he did not recognize himself in any of it.
In his caption, Hart questioned what he had done to deserve the statue, called it an attack, and asked directly who the figure was supposed to be. He closed by demanding a redo, framing the entire situation as an ongoing pattern of museums making him cry. The video he posted was set to the theme from “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a piece of music widely understood as the soundtrack to awkward failure, with on-screen text reading “I know this ain’t Kevin Hart.”
The post took off quickly. Within days it had accumulated more than 13 million views and nearly 30,000 comments, as fans weighed in on whether the figure captured its subject. The overwhelming consensus was that it did not.
Fans, celebrities, and one famous defender
The comment section became its own event. Jameela Jamil, known for her role in “The Good Place,” called it the worst wax figure she had ever seen of anyone. Other fans went further, dubbing the figure in the statue “Devin Hart” and comparing the likeness to entirely different celebrities. One commenter suggested Hart resembled the Weeknd in the statue. Another joked that he may be entitled to compensation.
Not everyone piled on. Dwayne Johnson, Hart’s frequent collaborator, took the opposite position in the comments, declaring the figure perfect and suggesting nothing needed to change. Johnson’s response was widely read as a joke, though it offered a counterpoint in a comment section otherwise full of mockery.
Johnson has some firsthand experience with the situation. In 2023, a wax figure of him at the Grévin Museum in Paris drew significant criticism after fans pointed out the statue had been given a noticeably lighter skin color than Johnson’s actual complexion. He publicly asked his team to reach out to the museum about updates, the museum acknowledged the figure was whiter than it should have been, and the statue was eventually revised.
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A recurring problem for celebrity statues
Hart’s reaction fits into a longer pattern of wax figures generating viral controversy. Earlier this year, a new wax figure of Zendaya at Madame Tussauds New York drew its own wave of mixed reactions after debuting in January. The statue was modeled after a look she wore to a promotional event for Dune: Part Two in Mexico City, complete with textured leather elements and statement jewelry.
Fan reactions ranged from cautious approval to pointed skepticism. Some viewers acknowledged that wax figures are inherently difficult to perfect, while others focused on specific details that felt slightly off. Several fans noted that Zendaya’s figures have never quite captured her likeness across multiple attempts.
Wax figures have occupied a strange place in celebrity culture for decades, simultaneously functioning as tributes and targets. The gap between intention and result is wide enough that nearly every high-profile unveiling generates its own reaction cycle online, regardless of the museum or the subject.
Hart has not indicated whether he has been in contact with the Hollywood Wax Museum directly. The museum had not responded to press inquiries as of the time of reporting. Whether a redo is actually in progress remains unknown, though Hart’s post has almost certainly guaranteed the museum more attention than it anticipated when the figure was first installed.
