Kevin Hart Booked on ‘Ellen’ to Discuss Oscars Controversy

Kevin Hart and Ellen DeGeneres (Deposit Photos and "Ellen")

Kevin Hart sat down with Ellen DeGeneres for his first interview since he announced last month he was bowing out of hosting the upcoming Oscars.

DeGeneres shared the news Thursday night on Twitter, saying she plans to air the episode early.

“I had an incredible and honest conversation with @KevinHart4real about hosting the #Oscars. It was supposed to air on Monday. I don’t want you to have to wait, so now it’s gonna air tomorrow,” she tweeted.

Hart stepped down as host of the 91st Academy Awards on Dec. 6, just two days after announcing he had signed up for the gig.

His announcement came hours after a controversy erupted over old homophobic tweets the actor and comedian posted almost a decade ago.

Social media users resurfaced the posts earlier that day, sparking calls for Hart to apologize.

In one of his old tweets, Hart said someone looked like “a gay bill board for AIDS.” Other posts included the anti-gay slurs “homo” and “fat faced f-g”.

After the controversy erupted, the Night School star posted two videos to Instagram describing the backlash as “beyond crazy.”  He added that he would not apologize or cave to “internet trolls.”

Read More: Kevin Hart Says He ‘Passed’ on Apologizing for Anti-Gay Tweets

In one video, Hart even revealed he had gotten a call from the Academy urging him to apologize but he refused. “I passed on the apology,” he stated, adding that he had previously addressed the issue “several times.”

Hours later, he apologized and announced on Twitter he would no longer be hosting the Oscars.

“I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” Hart tweeted.

The Oscars will be held on Feb. 24, but so far the Academy hasn’t announced who will be hosting.