Actor-comedian Kevin Hart made an announcement on Twitter late Thursday, which included an apology to the LGBTQ community, after his past homophobic comments resurfaced following Tuesday’s news that he would host 2019’s Academy Awards.
“I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s," Hart tweeted. "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.”
In a new Instagram video, Kevin Hart, who was tapped to MC the ceremony earlier this week, says the Academy called him issuing an ultimatum if things were going to continue as planned.
“I just got a call from the Academy and that call basically said, ‘Kevin, apologize for your tweets of old or we’re going to have to move on and find another host.’ I’m talking about the tweets from 2009 and 2010,” the 39-year-old comedian said. “I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times. This is not the first time this has come up. I’ve addressed it. I’ve spoken on it. I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were. I’ve said who I am now versus who I was then. I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on and I’m in a completely different place in my life.”
Several of those tweets began surfacing shortly after. Around the same time, it appears that some of them were deleted.
“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,’” read a 2011 tweet that Hart deleted this week, according to BuzzFeed News.
In 2010, he said in his stand-up comedy show, “Seriously Funny”, “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay. That’s a fear. Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic, I have nothing against gay people, do what you want to do, but me, being a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”
In a previous Instagram video, Hart addressed escalating concerns over a long history of hate speech and derogatory jokes about LGBTQ community on social media, resurfaced in national news after he was named host of the Oscar on Thursday.
“Stop looking for reasons to be negative,” Hart wrote in the previous Instagram post. “Stop searching for reasons to be angry.”
“The same energy that went into finding those old tweets could be the same energy put into finding the response to the questions that have been asked years after years after years,” Hart said in his latest video. “We feed internet trolls and we reward them. I’m not going to do it, man. I’m going to be me. I’m going to stand my ground. Regardless, Academy, I’m thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. If it goes away, no harm, no foul.”
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