Despite the backlash Kevin Hart faced after a slew of homophobic tweets were unearthed, the Philadelphia funnyman still resides on top and now has the number one movie in the U.S. with The Upside.
According to The New York Times, the STX film grossed a hefty $19.6 million during its opening weekend, which surpassed the industry’s expectations. In comparison to The Upside, fan favorite Aquaman starring Jason Momoa came in at $17.3 million.
The 37-year-old shared a heartfelt message on Instagram thanking everyone for supporting him. “This honestly might be my biggest box office accomplishment of my career,” he captioned the post filled with various images of news reports highlighting the accomplishment. “There is always a “Upside” to Everything….God is Good. I am beyond thankful for my fans & their love & support. I also want to give a huge Shoutout to STXFilms for supporting this movie & getting it to a point where it could be seen by audiences worldwide.”
Recently, Hart appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and addressed the situation about not hosting the Oscars. “I look at life through a different lens and because of that I live it a different way,” he said. “So to be put in a position where I was given an ultimatum—’Kevin apologize or we’re going to have to find another host’—when I was given that ultimatum, this is now becoming like a cloud. What was once the brightest star, the brightest light ever, just got real.”
I believe in forgiveness. I believe in second chances. And I believe in @KevinHart4real. pic.twitter.com/oJxfGXhU4P
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 4, 2019