Kevin Hart Steps Down as Oscar Host
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Wednesday afternoon, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the host for the upcoming 91st annual Academy Awards. By Thursday night, he had stepped down.
The turn of events followed outcry over previous anti-gay tweets, and comments Hart made during stand-up routines nearly 10 years ago. Some of the tweets were feverishly deleted throughout the day on Thursday, leading to an Instragram video from the comedian that only made matters worse for him.
“My team calls me, ‘Oh my God, Kevin, everyone’s upset by tweets you did years ago,'” he said in that video. “Guys, I’m nearly 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 the past, do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”
Those words rang as a defiant non-apology for many. Hours later, Hart resurfaced with another video stating that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had given him an ultimatum: Apologize or we’ll find a new host.
“I chose to pass on the apology,” the 39-year-old actor-comedian said in the video. “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.”
That, too, rang hollow for many. Less than two hours later, Hart announced via Twitter that he was removing himself from the gig, and he finally offered the apology everyone was looking for.
“I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars,” he wrote. “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. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love and appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again.”
Now the Academy finds itself in the unenviable position of casting a net once again to fill a role that clearly no one wanted in the first place; the Dec. 5 announcement of Hart as emcee was quite late in the game, and sources say the organization has had more trouble than usual finding someone to front their show.
The Academy did not respond to a request for comment.
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Christmas Songs are offensive, candy canes are offensive, now something a comedian said around 120 years during a comedy routine is enough to get him bounced from an awards show MC. Something he has addressed in the past. The way CNN wroe this story was quite slanted in their standard 'You don't need to think, we'll tell you what you shuold think' style. At what point is enough enough? How many of us did or said something stupid in their lifetime? Is that how you should be judged for the rest of your life?
Not sure why other people's butt hurt needs to become a driving factor for everything else.
He didn't get bounced. He decided not to be the MC. But I do agree with the rest of what you said. We hope that people can change by learning from past mistakes and I believe that Mr. Hart has.
He was offered a 'step-down' vs. being fired form the gig. Mox Nix to me.
Gma got run over by a reindeer is very offensive. The furor over Baby its Cold Outside is stupid. I live in the Cleveland area and I didn't know about this problem until I read it on national media.
I hadn't heard about this. Is it the sugar or the shape that has somebody in a twist?
Comics are supposed to be somewhat offensive to get people to think, just as the work of good artists should be offensive to make people think. If he apologized in the past then drop the issue.
Grandma got run over by a reindeer was also a comic song, if you don't like it, or any other song, the adult thing to do is to change the channel, turn the knob and move on with life. It's called adulting.
The Chrsitmas Cane bullshit was somethign about the cane being shaped like the letter J which stands for Jesus, blah, blah, blah, etc., etc. Just more stupidity masquerading as offensive to some one.
Sorry, meant 10 years ago and I agree. Humor is humor. Again, for anyone that doesn't like it? Turn the channel.
Some people need to get a life. Going back ten years?
This shit is beyond out of control
Has the Academy Awards show outlived it's usefulness?
I don't think he should have stepped down, and I do think people can change.
It also shows us that once you become famous your past is never really in the past.
I agree 100% John. The lesson to be learned here is that if the MSM and the right SJW's make a big deal out of it, then it's going to stick, and you career is probably done. Imagine how many comedians we would have left if this happened to all of them. Ironic a politician recently made a joke that all back people look alike and it wasn't even a blip on the radar..... It's all aobut what side you are on and there is strong bais and blatant hypocrisy.
I guess the host will have to be some kind of android powered by AI or a ten year old who has never been on the Internet. This is what things have come to.
Kevin Hart seems like a decent fellow and I find him funny. People can evolve on these things. I think too many people are in too big a hurry to see how many people they can metaphorically lynch in the name of social justice.
I couldn't agree more, Tacos! Seems today's sport is ruining the careers/lives of others. What's worse is that we have people willing to jump right on the bandwagon and cheer the decline and fall of anyone, the bigger/richer/more famous the better. Almost like jealousy run amok.
I think Hart over compensated. Apologize and perhaps give his side of the story? Sure. Step down? No.
From the story:
There is the group of 'never enough' apologies, mea culpas, etc., etc. Once again, if one is offended, one can easily change the channel. The selectiuve outrage seems to be for show, so others can see it.