Comedian Kevin Hart announced on Twitter Dec. 6 that he is stepping down as Oscar host. Hart made the announcement after a series of homophobic tweets were discovered on his account.
The tweets, which were posted from 2009 through 2011, feature anti-LGBTQ slurs and homophobic terminology. In a since deleted tweet from 2010, Hart says someone’s profile pic looks “like a gay bill board for AIDS.” In another deleted tweet from 2009, he referred to a user as a “fat faced fag.”
Not all of the tweets have been deleted and some can still be found on his Twitter page.
https://twitter.com/KevinHart4real/status/3310851109
After the initial backlash Kevin took to Instagram to insist that The Academy had been made aware of these tweets and he would not be stepping down.
Just hours after posting that video, Hart made the decision to step down in a series of tweets, saying he did not “want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists.”
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
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King, Jr.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
The Academy has not named a replacement for Hart as of yet.
