"I want everybody to know I'm done with it... I'm not addressing it anymore..."
Kevin Hart wants to make one thing very clear -- he’s not interested in talking about the Oscars controversy anymore.
On Wednesday, Hart was adamant with Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan that he would no longer be discussing the recent backlash he's received.
Last month, the 39-year-old comedian announced he would not be hosting the upcoming Academy Awards after facing controversy over resurfaced tweets from nearly a decade ago which contained homophobic remarks and offensive slurs. He later apologized for the remarks before stepping down as host, and went on to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last week, where he was urged by the daytime talk show host to reconsider.
"You will not hear me say anything else about it,” he insisted during his GMA interview. "I’ve done all that I can do.”
When Strahan inquired as to how the controversy has changed Hart, the Upside actor replied, "I have explained how I've evolved, which makes me say I'm over it. I'm not saying I've changed anymore."
Hart went on to express how tired he is of discussing the topic. “Here’s what I’m trying to say -- I’m over it,” he declared. "That’s what I’m trying to say. I’m done with it. I’m talking about today. I’m talking about me today and the energy that I have and what I can do on a daily basis. I put out good energy. I aspire, I motivate. I’m a good person. I love to love. If you don’t see that, then that means that’s a problem with you… I have nothing else to prove or do."
Strahan further pressed the topic, asking Hart as a father what he would do if one of his children came out to him. "If anybody out there wants to believe that Kevin Hart is that much of a monster that he wouldn’t love somebody because of their choice in life, then all power to them," he replied. "Feel and choose to think how you think. I’m not addressing it. I’m not over delivering and over proving myself, because no matter what you do it may still not be received.”
Hart was then asked if he was surprised that DeGeneres had received some backlash for her decision to defend and support him on her show.
"It shows me that there is no ending to it,” he said of the backlash. "If you keep feeding this energy, then it’s going to grow. You’re not getting no more of my energy from it."
"I’m not shutting down the questions," he told Strahan. "I hear everything you’re saying, but I want everybody to know I’m done with it. It’s a choice that I personally made to say, 'I’m not addressing it anymore.' That’s not from an angry place."
As for whether he’ll host this year’s Oscars after all, Hart gave a definitive "no" for the first time.
“Right now from a time perspective, I don’t really have the time,” he said. "You’re talking about two weeks that I’d have to prepare… If I do something, I’d like to be able to give it my all and make sure that the production is a great representation of me and my talent. I can’t do that right now.”
That doesn’t mean he’s shutting down the possibility of hosting the Oscars another year.
"It’s hard to predict what can happen,” he said. "And I don’t want people to think that there’s a thing between me and the Academy, because there isn’t.”
Shortly after Hart’s interview aired, Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness seemed to take issue with his remarks. “There are so many amazing queer comedians especially of color who are much better suited for this job and actually… funny," he tweeted. "Nothing like enabling someone to mansplain why they’re homophobic past comments paired with defensive irritated half apologies are totally fabulous! Gay Men of color in this country face HUGE STIGMA caused by this behavior. Ellen gurl. Not cool."
For more on the controversy, watch the clip below:
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