PHOTOSKevin Hart Steps Down As Oscars Host After Homophobic Tweet Scandal
Dec. 7 2018, Published 2:22 p.m. ET
A day after he was announced as the 2019 Oscars host, Kevin Hart’s offensive tweets have landed him in hot water with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The homophobic tweets, which Kevin wrote between 2009 and 2011 but had deleted, resurfaced on Thursday, and the organization quickly asked him to apologize. The two sides didn’t see eye to eye. Read on for more details.
In the tweets, the Night School actor made fun of the LGBQT community. In 2011, he wrote, “Yo if my son comes home & try's 2 play with my daughters doll house I'm going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice 'stop that's gay'." (At the time, the star had two kids with his ex-wife.
In a second tweet, Kevin wrote, “Why does @DamienDW profile pic look like a gay bill board for AIDS………Booom, I’m on fire tonight.” Making matters worse, he also used the offensive language in his stand-up routines.
The Academy asked Kevin to apologize or be let go from his hosting gig. Kevin said he did not want to “feed the internet trolls” and instead took it upon himself to step down.
In his resignation, he said, "I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's. This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists.”
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“I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. I'm sorry that I hurt people... I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again," he continued.
Before relinquishing the role, he wrote, “Stop looking for reasons to be negative … Stop searching for reasons to be angry …. I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people …. there is nothing that you can do to change that … NOTHING. I work hard on a daily basis to spread positivity to all.”
The Academy may not have to look far for a replacement. Busy Philipps offered to step in on Twitter following the news.
Who do you think should take Kevin’s place and host the upcoming award show? Let us know in the comments.
