A little over 48 hours after announcing he’d be hosting the 91st Academy Awards, Kevin Hart has withdrawn at the telecast’s emcee. After increasing controversy over twitter posts he’d made referencing gay men, homosexuality and the word “fag,” Hart decided the best option was to no longer host the Oscars.
The 39-year-old comedian and star of recent hits such as “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Night School” was initially seen as a new host who could not only bring in new viewers but much-needed diversity to the role. Hart was set to become only the third solo African-American host after Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock. Instead, an article in The Guardian spurred media to investigate Hart’s previous statements. These tweets, which are still online, took place in 2009 and 2010.
Just six hours ago, Hart posted an initial Instagram video to his 66 million followers where he addressed the controversy telling people to “stop looking for answers to be negative…stop searching for reasons to be angry.” He added, “What’s understood should never have to be said. I LOVE EVERYBODY.” Hart also discussed the situation in the video accompanying with the post.
This only seemed to make matters worse as Hart seemed unwilling to address his former comments.
A little over four hours later he posted another Instagram story saying The Academy had called him and asked him to apologize for his tweets of old or they would have to “move on.” Hart said he would not apologize for something he’d addressed before. “I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to tap into the days of old when I’m in a completely different space in my life.”
Clearly, Hart’s plea in the video didn’t sit well with the Academy. A little after 9 PM PT, Hart tweeted he would no longer be hosting the Oscars.
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.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
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.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
There is a lot to dissect here. Why was Hart not willing to simply say, “I addressed and apologized about these tweets in [insert year]”? Why was the Academy not aware of these previous comments despite numerous reports about them in the years since? Depending on your point of view, the situation appears to make The Academy look even worse than Hart. Based on online remarks, Hart’s legion of fans are furious and you can bet Academy members are not thrilled on how this played out. If you want to know how wired the industry is in Los Angeles, this became an immediate story to trump all others in a matter of minutes.
This is also another embarrassing escapade for AMPAS president John Bailey and CEO Dawn Hudson after the massive backlash over the idea of a popular Oscar honor this summer. A move Bailey delayed, but still hopes to push through for 2020.
The fact Hart was announced so late was partially because producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss were not announced as producers until the end of October. It was also because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find someone willing to host the show. No one’s careers have ever been permanently damaged by a bad showing on one of the world’s biggest telecasts, but the only consensus winner among the host’s this decade is Ellen DeGeneres.
Longtime favorite Billy Crystal stepped in for Eddie Murphy when he dropped out before the 2012 telecast.
Where the Academy turns at this point is unclear, but either Crystal or Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the past two ceremonies and is an ABC talent, are likely potential backups. The last time the Oscars were host-less was in 1989, almost 30 years ago. It also aired without an emcee between 1969-1971.
The 91st Academy Awards will be handed out regardless on Feb. 24 at 5 PM PT, 8 PM ET live on ABC.
