When it comes to having great comic timing and an amusing personality that could captivate an audience, Kevin Hart is one name that one just cannot miss. He recently commented on hosting the Academy Awards after the 2019 outcry that eventually led him to step down as Oscars host.
Having won hearts with his work in several stand-up comedy performances and movies, he also hosted a few big events like the BET Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the MTV Movie Awards. Back in 2019, he was up to host the Oscars but stepped down due to his controversial jokes.
Kevin Hart Clarifies About Hosting Oscars!
In an interview with Sky News, Kevin Hart commented on hosting the Academy Awards stating he would not be doing it due to the lack of “comedy-friendly environments.”
He stated,
“Whatever little hope you had, I want to destroy it right now. Those gigs aren’t good gigs for comics. It’s no shot to the Oscars, no shot to the Globes, or anything else. Those just aren’t comedy friendly environments anymore.”
He added,
“I think they got it right one year where it was like just a bunch of personalities acting as the hosts and that’s a nice thing. It’s a collaborative thing, different people get to be responsible for act one, act two, act three, but you know, the days of it being a room for a comic, those days are done.”
While he is staying firm on his stance, he added,
“It’s not the gig that it was of old. It’s too much pressure on the idea of a comic and what’s jokes and not jokes. So, it’s tough.”
Back in 2019, he was due to host the 91st Academy Awards but stepped down due to criticism that arose from his controversial remarks he did in the past.
Kevin Hart Had to Step Down from Hosting Oscars Gig Due to Controversial Jokes
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Hart was announced to host the 2019 Oscars but 48 hours later, he stepped down from the gig. It happened when a series of his old controversial tweets resurfaced over a decade ago. The Jumanji actor made numerous homophobic jokes. While the tweets went unnoticed at the time, they resurfaced due to his immense popularity leaving him at a major disadvantage.
Soon after the outcry, he uploaded an Instagram video to talk about the controversy but sorry seemed missing which added fuel to the fire.
“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.”
He later uploaded another video to double-down his stance in response to the Academy Awards giving him an ultimatum about his gig or else he would be replaced. Eventually, he announced stepping down from the gig as he offered an apology for his actions.
