Kevin Hart
Image Source: Wikipedia Commons, Lance Harris from https://vimeo.com/300150702
What was the Accusation?
In December 2018, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the host of the Academy Awards. Shortly after the announcement, past tweets and stand-up material resurfaced in which Hart made homophobic jokes, including statements about his discomfort with his son being gay. The tweets, some dating back nearly a decade, drew widespread criticism on social media and from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Critics argued that the comments were harmful and inconsistent with the inclusive values the Oscars sought to promote. The controversy quickly escalated, placing pressure on Hart to respond publicly. The Academy reportedly asked Hart to apologize, and when he initially refused, he stepped down as host.
The situation became a major media story, raising broader questions about accountability, past speech, and whether public figures should be judged by earlier statements. Hart later issued multiple public apologies and explanations across social media and television appearances. In his televised conversation with Ellen DeGeneres, Hart argued that he had already addressed and apologized for the material years earlier, said he no longer used that kind of language, and emphasized that he did not want the Oscars ceremony to become focused on his controversy instead of the nominees. His response combined mortification, corrective action, bolstering, and minimization by apologizing again, pointing to personal growth, defending his current character, and arguing that the controversy ignored earlier apologies and the passage of time.
Key Apologia Strategies
Mortification, Corrective Action, Bolstering, Minimization
Video
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Transcript
Ellen: I think it was. I think it was right after I hosted the Oscars. We went to dinner and we talked about you hosting the Oscars, that it was a dream of yours. You’ve always wanted to host the Oscars. I said you should host. The Oscars, then you get asked to. I mean, it must have been amazing when they asked you to host this year?
Kevin: You know, there’s there’s a lot of goals that I have on my board. Vision board. And on that vision board is so many things that I want to do that I’ll check off as they get done. And Oscars was up there. Oscars was one of the highest of highs simply because there hasn’t been a lot of African American comedians that have been able to do it. I would have been the 4th. So to get the moment, celebrate the moment, Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s happened. And then the next morning. After a day full of congratulations and celebrations, I’m hit with an onslaught on social media of my past coming back up again literally the next morning. Not even a full 24 hours to glow in the glory of Kevin Hart is hosting this year’s Oscars and. When it happened. You know, my my first, my first thought is I’m gonna ignore it. I would ignore it because it’s 10 years old. This is stuff I’ve addressed I’ve I’ve talked about this. This isn’t new. I’ve addressed it, I’ve apologized for it, I’m not gonna pay it any mind ’cause we feed in that stuff you only add more fuel to the fire right. I’m not gonna do. I’m gonna leave it alone. Now the day goes by. Fuel is now. It’s growing this this fires angry. It’s all over the place now. The headlines are starting to change. The headlines are Kevin Hart refuses to apologize for homophobic tweets from the past. The word again was left out. Everybody took those headlines and started to run with it. So now. The slander on my name is all homophobia. Now I’m a little upset. I’m a little upset because I know who I am. I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body. I know I’ve addressed it. I know I’ve apologized. I know that within my apologies, I’ve taken 10 years to put my apology to work. I’ve yet to go back to that version of the immature comedian that once was. I’ve moved on. I’m a grown man. I’m cultured. I’m manufactured. I’m I’m a guy that understands now I look at life through a different lens and because of that, I live it a different way. So now. I’m kind of upset because these 10 years. Are just being ignored. They’re being brushed pads. Nobody is saying, guys, this is this is 10 years. No headlines are saying 10 years ago he apologized. Nobody’s finding the apologies. Nobody’s finding the footage from where I had to address it and to address it when I did get hard promo with Will Ferrell because of my joke that I had about my son, I had to address those tweets in 2012 and very, very heavy. Heavy junket where I was asked questions and asked questions about homophobia based on those tweets. And I had to address it and apologize and say I understand what those words do and how they hurt. I understand why people would be upset, which is why I made the choice to not use them anymore. I don’t joke like that anymore because that was wrong. That was a guy that was just looking for laughs and that was stupid. I don’t do that anymore. So to be put in a position where I was given an ultimatum. I was given an ultimatum, Kevin. Apologize, but we’re gonna have to find another house. When I was giving that ultimatum. This is now. It’s now becoming like a cloud. Was once the brightest star and brightest light ever. Just got real dark. The Oscars is no longer about Kevin Hart stepping on that stage and taking a intense night where people are so tight and making it loose and fun. That’s my reason for doing it. I’m gonna bring fun to the Oscars. I’m gonna make the Oscars fun. Now all of a sudden it’s a little darker because the conversation is about me hosting Oscars conversations about Kevin Hart’s tweets from 10 years ago and homophobia. I don’t want to step on that stage and make that night about me and my past when you got people that have worked hard. To step on a stage for the first time and receive an award. I’m now taking away from all those moments because that night is is focused on something else now. That’s how I see it. Because I saw it like that. I said I would much rather step down. And apologize again while stepping down. Once again, I’m sorry if these words hurt. I’m sorry. But either my apology is accepted. Or it isn’t. Either I can move forward. Or I can’t? But. You can’t grow as a person without mistakes. You don’t know perfection is unless you’ve experienced imperfection. So I don’t know the perfect individual that society is now looking for. It’s not me. I’ll be the first to say it. I’m an open book. There is no perfect bone in my body. I have made several mistakes and I embrace them all because I’m a better man today because of. In this case. I just said I’m going to walk away because I felt like there was a conversation. I was just going to continue and continue and continue. I would much rather say I’m sorry again and walk away. Because I I’m, I’m. I want to be done with the conversation. I don’t want to have to have this conversation anymore because I know who I am. I’m not that guy.
Ellen: I know you’re not that guy ’cause I know you. Umm, So I’m gonna take a break ’cause I have thoughts, but I want that to say exactly as it is. So I’ll take a break and then I’ll give give you my thoughts because I, I think that the night will be about you and it should be about you and you should host the Oscars and I’m gonna talk you into it after. This we’ll be back.
Sources
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