Kevin Hart names LGBTQ star who enlightened him over anti-gay remarks: ‘It was presented in a way I couldn’t ignore’
What an inspiring story!
Kevin Hart has spoken of growing as a person after old anti-gay tweets he posted resurfaced, crediting a specific individual with inspiring the change.
The comic posted the tweets between 2009 and 2011, and they resurfaced in 2018. In one, he compared a person’s profile picture to “a gay bill board [sic] for AIDS.”
In another, he wrote: “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.’”
Following backlash, he stepped down from hosting the 2019 Oscars, but initially refused to apologise for the remarks.
In an Instagram video at the time, Hart said: “So I just got a call from the Academy, and that call basically said, ‘Kevin, apologize for your tweets of old, or we’re going to have to move on and find another host,’ talking about the tweets from 2009, 2010.’ I chose to pass. I passed on the apology. The reason I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times.”
The next day, he tweeted: “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.”
“Understanding and education can come out of it if you’re given the opportunity” – Kevin Hart
The 44-year-old addressed the incident in an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes on Sunday (21 April 2024). In it, he paid tribute to fellow comic Wanda Sykes for helping him understand the harm of his comments.
“Wanda said, ‘There’s people that are being hurt today because of comments like the ones that you made then, and there’s people that were saying it’s OK to make those comments today based off of what you did then,’” recalled Kevin.
“It was presented to me in a way where I couldn’t ignore,” the Jumanji: The Next Level actor added of the Curb Your Enthusiasm star.
“So in those moments of despair, great understanding and education can come out of it if you’re given the opportunity.”
Good for him – and good for Wanda!