The talk show host faced backlash following her support of Kevin Hart, who left the hosting gig after uproar over his past jokes.
Following backlash over her interview with Kevin Hart, Ellen DeGeneres' brother, Vance, came to the host's defense on Twitter.
"Regarding my sister – no good deed goes unpunished," he wrote. "All she’s ever done is try to help make the world a better, kinder, more compassionate place. And she’s paid the price for her efforts. You may want to pick on someone who actually deserves your criticism."
Last week, DeGeneres had Hart on her daytime talk show to discuss the Oscars hosting controversy. The comedian was previously announced as the host of the 2019 ceremony, but was met with fierce criticism and backlash over his controversial anti-gay jokes made both on Twitter and in past standup specials. After he quit the gig and later apologized, he sat down with DeGeneres for his first televised interview about the ongoing saga.
"I don't have a homophobic bone in my body," Hart said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In a supportive conversation, DeGeneres came to Hart's defense against his critics, telling him, "Don’t pay attention to them; they are a small group of people who are very, very loud. We are a huge group of people who love you and want you to host the Oscars." The host then went on to say she would like Hart to emcee the Academy Awards despite the controversy.
While some saw it as a positive move forward, many felt betrayed by DeGeneres for her support of Hart and slammed her for seemingly giving a voice to anti-gay rhetoric.
Despite her support, Hart seemed hesitant about returning to the gig. Following his appearance, the actor posted an Instagram about "growth," and with that "comes a wealth of knowledge." Additionally, Deadline reported that the Academy was only interested in moving forward and finding another option.
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