Shortly after Kevin Hart was named the host of the 91st Academy Awards, the comedian faced the consequences of his past homophobic tweets. While the 39-year-old entertainer said he previously apologized, the Oscars and the public asked him to take greater accountability but he gave contention in doing so.
As a result, Hart stepped away from hosting the ceremony, which drew more ire. To address the controversy, he recently appeared on The Ellen Show to explain his stance. But to further that clarification, the Philadelphia native utilized his “Straight From The Hart” SiriusXM show to rectify his statement to the LGBTQ community for his actions and said he will refrain from using demeaning language in his comedy, PEOPLE reports.
Also in a statement published by ABC News, Hart amplified that he understands the community’s fight for equality and wants to join in. “But in the fight for equality, that means that there has to be an acceptance for change. If you don’t want to accept people for their change, then where are you trying to get to the equal part?” he added. “Where does the equality part come in? I don’t think it’s wrong for people to have their own personal beliefs. I think that in the times that we’re living in, we have to be understanding and accepting of people and change. Bottom line.”
Within the SiriusXM show, Hart noted that his tweets were reflective of the circles he frequented. “I really had to dive into the whole thing, even the tweets. These weren’t words that I said to gay individuals. I didn’t say these words to people, at the time, this was our dumb a**es on Twitter going back and forth with each other,” he said, referring to his close friends. “We thought it was okay to talk like that, because that’s how we talked to one another. In that, you go, f**k! This is wrong now. Because now we’re in a space where I’m around people of the LGBTQ community, and I’m now aware of how these words make them feel, and why they say ‘That s**t hurt because of what I’ve been through.’”
READ MORE: It’s Settled: Kevin Hart Is Definitely Not Hosting The Oscars