That... de-escalated quickly? Just a day after he announced he'd got the gig, a firestorm of criticism about past jokes and tweets has led to Kevin Hart losing his job as Oscar host.
"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 wrote on twitter.
There had been complaints about homophobic tweets and humour, and Hart initially refused to apologise. That is a position that has, obviously, changed, but he also made the choice to leave the position of host.
Which leaves the Academy scrambling to find someone at even shorter notice. Wonder if they had a back up in place? We'll find out soon enough, but it's surely not too late to just hand it to Jeff Goldblum. Whether it's presented by anyone at all, the 2019 Oscar ceremony is still scheduled to air on 24 February.
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