Ellen recently sat down for her much-publicised interview with Kevin Hart, and it turns out that the talk show host is really keen for the disgraced comic to get his Oscars hosting gig back, after he was ousted from the job over previous homophobic remarks.
In the interview, which aired overnight, the talk show host revealed that she had spoken to Hart about his controversy soon after it all blew up, and she told him that she had contacted Oscars top brass to try and get him reinstated as host. She said:
“I called The Academy today, because I really want you to host the Oscars … I was so excited when I heard that they asked you. I thought it was an amazing thing. I knew how important it was and how it was a dream.”
She then said the Academy told her privately that they would be open to having him come back. Praising him for his “class, sophistication and hilarity”, she said went on to claim that a large section of the LGBT community would actually be keen to have take the mantle back up:
“There are so many haters out there. Whatever is going on in the internet, don’t pay attention to them. That’s a small group of people being very, very loud. We are a huge group of people who love you and want to see you host the Oscars.”
Sure, Ellen, I guess I must have missed the meeting where they elected you President of the Gays, but you do you:
Hart later told the host that she had “put a lot” on his mind with her endorsement:
However you feel about this, the only positive way through it is to talk about it. Thank you for being here, @KevinHart4real. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FVKZ6FIQAx
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) January 4, 2019
Kevin Hart was initially dismissive when his old homophobic Tweets and routines began to resurface after his Oscars hosting announcement, including a bit about how he’d proudly smash a doll house over his son’s head if he was acting “gay.”
He chose to step aside as host rather than apologise, later saying “I have made several mistakes, and I embrace them all. I’m a better man today because of it.”
In a Variety piece that was published the same time as the Ellen interview, Hart said that he would not consider going back to host the Oscars as it would be a step backwards. The Academy has since indicated that it would be interested in having him back, current status of his hosting gig, then, is anyone’s guess.
Ellen, meanwhile, continues to promote his new movie on Twitter, and has even dragged Portia into it now, and her mentions, needless to say, are not the most pleasant place:
Portia and I both loved #TheUpside. @KevinHart4real https://t.co/gcZJj1mnMZ
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) January 4, 2019
