The 'Get Hard' actor hits back at critics in an Instagram video while deleting old offensive tweets after he's appointed as an Oscar host.
- Dec 7, 2018
AceShowbiz - Kevin Hart has responded to the backlash he faces after he's named the host for the 91st Academy Awards. On Thursday, December 6, the comedian took to Instagram to address the criticism over his old homophobic jokes.
"I swear man, our world has become beyond crazy. I'm not going to let the craziness frustrate me, or anger me," he says in a video while lying in bed and shirtless. Instead of apologizing, Hart insists that he's not the same person who made the homophobic jokes years ago. "Guys. I'm almost 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," he says. "If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past then...I'm the wrong guy man."
The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star also writes in the caption, "Stop looking for reasons to be negative...stop searching for reasons to be angry...I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people... there is nothing that you can do to change that......NOTHING."
"I work hard on a daily basis to spread positivity to all...with that being said," he continues. "If you want to search my history or past and anger yourselves with what u find that is fine with me. I'm almost 40 years old and I'm in love with the man that I am becoming."
Urging people to look out the positive instead of the negative things, he adds, "You LIVE and YOU LEARN & YOU GROW & YOU MATURE. I live to Love.... Please take your negative energy and put it into something constructive. Please...What's understood should never have to be said. I LOVE EVERYBODY..ONCE AGAIN EVERYBODY. If you choose to not believe me then that's on you...Have a beautiful day."
After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced Hart as the host for its next year's Academy Awards ceremony, many took issues with the actor's homophobic jokes. He said in 2010, "One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay. ... Keep in mind I'm not homophobic. I have nothing against gay people. Be happy, do what you wanna do. But me being a heterosexual male, But me being a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will."
He also tweeted in 2011, "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 tweet, however, has been deleted along with several other offensive tweets as soon as people pointed them out.
The Academy has not responded to the protest. Hart is set to host the 2019 Academy Awards on February 24.
