Hart steps down as Oscars host after tweets outcry
85 views · Published 12 December 2018 · 1:06 · Indexed 6 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(7 Dec 2018) Just two days after being named host of the Academy Awards, Kevin Hart stepped down following an outcry over past homophobic tweets by the comedian. Capping a swift and dramatic fallout, Hart wrote on Twitter just after midnight on Friday that he was withdrawing as Oscars host because he didn't want to be a distraction. Hart stepped aside just about an hour after refusing to apologize for tweets that resurfaced after he was announced as Oscars host on Tuesday. In a video on Instagram, Hart said the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gave him an ultimatum to apologize or be replaced as host, which he said he'd "pass" on. The film academy didn't respond to messages on Thursday evening. Hart has since deleted some of the anti-gay tweets, mostly dated from 2009-2011. But they had already been screen-captured and been shared online. In 2011, he wrote in a since-deleted tweet: "Yo if my son comes home & try's 2 play with my daughters doll house I'm going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice 'stop that's gay." Hart's attitudes about homosexuality were also a well-known part of his stand-up act. In the 2010 special "Seriously Funny," he said "one of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay." The film academy moved up this year's ceremony to Feb. 24, giving producers little time to find a replacement. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9bc9a11f1d57be36e7bbaafe01f18966
