LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – A few days after it was announced that Kevin Hart would be hosting the 2019 Academy Awards, the 39-year-old comedian has today (Dec. 7) decided to step down from his hosting duties following backlash over past comments and Tweets that have been deemed homophobic.
Critics of Hart took to social media this week to call him out for his use of the word “gay” as an insult in a number of Tweets, some of which were several years old, including one that read: “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.’”
Hart initially responded to the criticism via a video on Instagram saying: “Guys, I’m almost 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain the past, then do you. I’m the wrong guy, man. I’m in a great place. A great mature place where all I do is spread positivity.”
A few hours later he seemed to reconsider the response and posted an apology on Twitter.
“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 in another tweet. “I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart.”
