Kevin Hart Has Stepped Down As Oscars Host After Refusing To Apologize For Anti-Gay Tweets

Hart’s unapologetic response to the uproar over his old tweets only fueled the backlash…
 
Kevin Hart announced Thursday night that he will no longer host the 2019 Academy Awards after he refused to apologize for posting anti-gay tweets years ago that had recently resurfaced.
 
The comedian tweeted:
 
“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. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”
 
“I’m sorry that I hurt people,” he added Thursday night. “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.”
 
The controversy over Hart’s tweets began earlier this week following the announcement that he would host the upcoming Academy Awards. Some of the tweets dating back years were deleted, but screenshots revealed several posts using anti-gay language and repeated use of the words “fag” and “homo.”
 

After seeing this @benfraserlee tweet, I did a search for every time Kevin Hart tweeted "fag," "homo," or "gay." It was…a lot. And he seems to have basically stopped tweeting those words after 2011 — i.e. the year his first stand-up movie became a hit. https://t.co/P8nTOilFgx pic.twitter.com/6uzPhnvt4F

— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) December 5, 2018

 
Hart’s exit means the award show is now once again without a host with a little more than two months until the live awards telecast.