Oscars 2019: Kevin Hart officially stepping down as host
Following a day’s worth of criticism (and his own previous refusal to apologize) over some offensive remarks that he made on Twitter in an earlier part of his career, comedian Kevin Hart chose to officially step down from the role. Take a look at some of what he had to say in a statement:
I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. I’m sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again.
When Hart first accepted the gig, he referred to it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Then, he tried to refuse to apologize last night at first over some of the allegations.
Following the announcement that Hart was done, GLAAD president / CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a statement making it clear that she did not fully love the decision:
Kevin Hart shouldn’t have stepped down; he should have stepped up … Hart’s apology to LGBTQ people is an important step forward, but he missed a real opportunity to use his platform and the Oscars stage to build unity and awareness. We would still welcome that conversation with him. The Academy has recently made significant strides in featuring diverse talent onstage and they should now double down on that commitment as they look for a new host.
What should the Oscars do now?
Their challenge is rather simple: Find a performer who is mainstream enough to get viewers, but at the same time also capable of handling the difficult responsibilities of hosting this show. Being an Oscars host requires a lot of patience and also knowing how to lift the mood of the Dolby Theater when it starts to get a little bit dry. This is a long show and with that in mind, there are a lot of different things that have to be done. There are a lot of different names that are out there, but we’ll wait and see who the Academy actually decides on before starting to render any further judgment on the subject.
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What do you think about Kevin Hart stepping down as host of the Oscars? Be sure to share some of your thoughts now in the attached comments! (Photo: Oscars.)