After Kevin Hart was announced as the host for the 2019 Oscars, old tweets and press comments of his surfaced that contained a litany of homophobic jokes and statements. (e.g. “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay,†Hart said while promoting the movie Seriously Funny.) Two days after the hosting news broke and social media started circulating the comedian’s past remarks, Hart has posted a video on Instagram not saying he’s sorry for anything. He does say, however, that “our world is becoming beyond crazy, and I’m not going to let the craziness frustrate me.†Hart adds in the video’s caption: “I’m almost 40 years old and I’m in love with the man that I am becoming,†and, “What’s understood should never have to be said.†So, if you didn’t know Kevin Hart has grown over the past 10 years, well, that’s on you.
Update 8:15 p.m.: Hart released another Instagram video explaining that the Academy called him demanding he apologize for his past remarks or lose the hosting job. Hart refused to apologize, saying “I’ve addressed this several times…I’ve spoken on it, I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were.â€
Hart did address his homophobic standup material (not tweets) in a 2015 Rolling Stone article, saying “I wouldn’t tell that joke today, because when I said it, the times weren’t as sensitive as they are now. I think we love to make big deals out of things that aren’t necessarily big deals, because we can.â€