Ellen DeGeneres wants Kevin Hart to be reinstated as Oscars host
Ellen DeGeneres has generated controversy by throwing her support behind comedian Kevin Hart, who was forced to step down as the host of the 2019 Academy Awards following accusations of homophobia.
Hart appeared on The Ellen Show for a full hour to promote his new film, The Upside, and to defend his decision to step down as the Oscars host following the re-surfacing of years-old tweets and quotes.
Ellen interviewed the comedian and according to Variety, said the producers of the Academy Awards "admitted to possibly mishandling Hart's departure” and would be “emphatic” to see him return.
I believe in forgiveness. I believe in second chances. And I believe in @KevinHart4real. pic.twitter.com/oJxfGXhU4P
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 4, 2019
The popular chat show host, and former host of the awards ceremony herself declared; “We want him to host. Whatever we can do, we want him to host.”
He spoke about the issue uninterrupted for nearly six minutes, a rarity on US television, and told Ellen that the Oscars was; "…one of the highest of highs, simply because there hasn't been a lot of African Americans that have been able to do it."
Saying it was "unreal" to be asked to host the coveted awards ceremony on ABC this February, he described the onslaught of social media backlash which followed his appointment and later led to his stepping down;
In this conversation, @KevinHart4real was authentic and real, and I’m in his corner. #OscarsNeedHart https://t.co/nhMwSefrMl
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 4, 2019
"To get the moment, celebrate the moment—'Oh, my God! I can't believe it's happen!'—and then the next morning after a day full of congratulations and celebrations, I'm hit with an onslaught on social media of my past coming back up again."
"Literally, the next morning! Not even a full 24 hours to glow in the glory of 'Kevin Hart Is Hosting This Year's Oscars,'" the comic described.
"When it happened, my first thought is, 'I'm going to ignore it. I'm going to ignore it because it's 10 years old. This is stuff I've addressed. I've talked about this. This isn't new. I've addressed it! I've apologised for it. I'm not going to pay it any mind.'"
His controversial tweets were between 2009 and 2011, and the now deleted post reads; “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’.”
The interview is broadcasting on today's episode of Ellen, with the host saying she believes in "second chances", and believes he deserves to host.
“It’s all they ever wanted him to do, and he’s doing it in spades. So now he should be able to come back on his own terms."
She has incredible influence in the public eye and within the awards circuit herself, so who knows what could happen?
