With the Oscars just days away, you’re probably trying to watch as many nominated films as possible. And while it promises to be an interesting awards ceremony, to say the least, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth walk to the stage. Although this…
With the Oscars just days away, you’re probably trying to watch as many nominated films as possible. And while it promises to be an interesting awards ceremony, to say the least, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth walk to the stage. Although this awards season has been rife with controversy, the most prominent reason is that there will be no Oscars host this year. Why, you ask? Well, settle in — it’s a bit of a long story.
Kevin Hart was announced as this year’s Oscars host on Dec. 4,2018. However, just two days later, the comedian stepped down from the position, after old, homophobic tweets resurfaced. The Ride Along actor first posted a video on Instagram on Dec. 6 in response to the backlash. “Guys, I’m almost 40 years old,” he said. “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 their pasts, then do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”
In another Instagram video, the comedian explained that he’d gotten a call from the Academy asking him to apologize, but he decided to forego it, since he said he’s addressed the controversy in the past.
However, Hart tweeted a more explicit apology the next day, in which he announced that he would be stepping down as Oscars host. “I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists,” he wrote, in part. “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.
