The Academy Awards Will Reportedly Not Bring Back Kevin Hart to Host 2019 Ceremony

Following Kevin Hart‘s controversial interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the comedian will not be brought back to host the 91st Academy Awards, according to Deadline.

Multiple sources told the outlet Saturday that Hart has turned down the chance to return. The site points out the situation is “still fluid,” but this “looks like his final answer.”

This leaves the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in moving forward with plans to skip hiring a host for this year’s Oscars and instead focusing on getting A-listers to present awards.

Hart did reconsider his decision to resign from hosting last month after mounting criticism of his initial refusal to apologize for homophobic tweets and jokes from his past. However, Deadline reports he ultimately decided against it because he felt he would be too much of a distraction from the movies and people being honored. He was also concerned about the lack of time he would have to prepare, since the Oscars are less than two months away now.

Hart was picked to host the Oscars on Dec. 4, and almost immediately after the announcement, Hart’s tweets began to resurface. Although Hart has commented on the tweets in the past, he never formally apologized, only choosing to explain why he does not use homophobic jokes since his profile grew. The Academy asked Hart to make a formal apology, but he initially refused.

Three days after he was hired, Hart stepped down as the Oscars’ host and apologized for the jokes in a series of tweets.

While it was accepted that Hart would not host the Oscars, DeGeneres endorsed him being re-hired when he appeared on her show Friday to promote The Upside. DeGeneres even revealed that she personally called up the Academy to ask them to consider bringing him back. Then, reports surfaced that the Academy was willing to re-hire him.

“You’ve already expressed that it’s not being educated on the subject, not realizing how dangerous those words are, not realizing how many kids are killed for being gay or beaten up every day,” DeGeneres told Hart. “You have grown, you have apologized, you are apologizing again right now. You’ve done it. Don’t let those people win — host the Oscars.”

However, DeGeneres’ comments only added to the controversy and Hart himself told Variety he would not accept if asked to host again.

“Would I ever do it? No, it’s done. It’s done,” Hart told the magazine after clips from the DeGeneres interview were released. “The moment came and it was a blessing and I was excited at the opportunity and I still am. In my mind I got the job, it was a dream job, and things came up that simply prohibited it from happening. But I don’t believe in going backwards.”

The 91st Oscars air on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 27.

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