Actor Terry Crews has weighed in on Kevin Hart’s response to the controversy surrounding the comedian’s failed opportunity to host the 2019 Academy Awards.
Hart had been tapped late last year to host the ceremony, but resurfaced homophobic tweets –and his inability to appropriately apologize– cost him the gig. A late attempt by comedian Ellen DeGeneres to get Hart the hosting gig again also failed.
And now Crews, who is friends with Hart, has been able to perfectly explain why Hart was unable to properly overcome the scandal in time to reclaim the hosting role.
“He feels like he’s being attacked,” Crews told BuzzFeed’s Twitter show “AM to DM”. “But the truth is, he’s not.”
“The truth is, Kevin, you’re not being attacked,” he continued. “The truth is you have to just acknowledge what went on and acknowledge the pain of other people. That’s all anybody’s asking for. That’s it.”
"He feels like he's being attacked, but the truth is he's not." @terrycrews says Kevin Hart needs to acknowledge the pain of other people pic.twitter.com/CCGklptYEJ
When the tweets first resurfaced, Hart initially tried to dismiss the controversy. He later revealed that he’d stepped down after the Academy called to tell him to apologize or “we’re going to have to move on and find another host.”
“I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s,” he tweeted at the time. “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.”
CNN host Don Lemon later called out Hart on his show CNN Tonight last week after the comedian appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show and discussed the possibility of returning as Oscar host.
According to Lemon, there was no record of Hart ever apologizing for his tweets until the recent fallout.
“We have to stop low-key co-signing homophobia. It’s not cool,” Lemon said. “We won’t tolerate jokes that do otherwise.”
“Apologizing and moving on does not make the world a better place for people who are gay or people who are transgender,” he added. “Being an ally does.”
The 91st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 24.
