Despite a high-profile apology tour, the comedian told ‘Good Morning America’ in a tense interview that he’s “done” with the controversy and doesn’t think he should emcee the awards ceremony.
Kevin Hart says he’s not hosting the Oscars.
When asked if he would emcee the high-profile awards show, which has been a rumored possibility in recent days, Hart told Good Morning America‘s Michael Strahan, “no,” and that it’s too late to prepare.
“It’s hard to predict what can happen. I don’t want people to think there’s a thing about me and the Academy,” he added.
As for the controversy over past homophobic jokes and tweets, which ultimately led him to step down as Oscars host in December, Hart said he’s “done.”
“I’m over it,” Hart said multiple times when asked about the situation, adding that he apologized back in the late 2000s and multiple times since. “There’s no more conversation about it…I’m over that, I’m over the moment.”
“I’m not giving no more explanation of who I am,” he said in the interview to promote his upcoming film, The Upside. “I’m just done.”
“If you didn’t [hear the apology], I don’t know what you’re looking for,” he said. “I’m a good person, I love to love, if you don’t see that then it’s a problem with you.”
Hart’s comments on ABC, the same network that airs the Oscars, come after he has addressed the controversy multiple times in recent days, most notably on an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, which came roughly a month after Hart was announced as Oscars host and then stepped down just days later after his resurfaced remarks sparked controversy.
On Ellen, DeGeneres encouraged him to reconsider hosting and said she’d spoken to the Academy and claimed they would happily have him return if he wanted to host. Hart said he would “assess” whether he was interested in reclaiming the role.
“Leaving here, I promise you, I’m evaluating this conversation,” Hart said on Ellen. “This is a conversation I needed to have, I’m glad that I had it here, and I’m glad that it was as authentic and real as I could have hoped that it would be. So let me assess, just to sit in this space and really think, and you and I will talk before anything else.”
The interview was met with swift backlash on social media after clips were released late Thursday night. A number of people felt DeGeneres was giving Hart a pass for his past behavior. Several journalists, including CNN anchor Don Lemon, chastised Hart for his response to the controversy.
Later on Wednesday, Hart shared that he had had an off-the-record conversation with Lemon about the segment, which Hart said he had found “upsetting,” on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM program Radio Andy. “Me and Don had an off-the-record conversation. We both made valid points, he made one real strong point and when he made that point, I said I get it. I get that part,” Hart said. “And I rebuttaled [sic] with an amazing point and when I gave my rebuttal, he said, ‘Fuck, I get it. I get that, Kevin.’ I said, look that means you have to meet halfway. Let’s understand that, let’s move on.”
On Monday he apologized again to the LGBTQ community for past homophobic remarks on his SiriusXM show, Straight From the Hart.
“Once again, Kevin Hart apologizes for his remarks that hurt members of the LGBTQ community. I apologize,” he said on the show. “We thought it was OK to talk like that, because that’s how we talked to one another…. This is wrong now. Now we’re in a space where I’m around people of the LGBTQ community, and I’m now aware of how these words make them feel, and why they say ‘That shit hurt because of what I’ve been through.’”
“The fight is the will and want for equality. I’m riding with you guys. I understand you,” he added, saying he hopes the LGBTQ community can accept that he’s a different person.
“In the fight for equality, that means that there has to be an acceptance for change,” Hart said. “If you don’t want to accept people for their change, then where are you trying to get to the equal part? Where does the equality part come in?”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
