Kevin Hart Reveals Wanda Sykes Advised Him After Homophobic Jokes Resurfaced In 2018
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It’s been six years since Kevin Hart stepped down as host of the Oscars after some controversial, seemingly homophobic jokes resurfaced. Following the ordeal, the comedian revealed that Wanda Sykes was the “best lightbulb ever” who put everything into perspective for him.
When speaking with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Hart revealed, “Wanda Sykes said, ‘There’s people that are being hurt today because of comments like the ones that you made then. And there’s people that were saying it’s okay to make those comments today based off of what you did then.’”
He wound up apologizing because of the understanding he received from Sykes. “It was presented to me in a way where I couldn’t ignore that,” confessed the father of four. “So, in those moments of despair, great understanding and education can come out of it if you’re given the opportunity.”
“In those moments of despair, great understanding, and education can come out of it if you're given the opportunity,” says Kevin Hart, whose comments about the gay community onstage and on Twitter sparked a controversy. https://t.co/0rEqdUbKxi pic.twitter.com/OqWo9XSMx3
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 21, 2024
The problematic nature of his comments stemmed from his disgust over potentially having a gay son and tweeting that someone’s profile photo looked like “a gay billboard for AIDS.” In his 2010 stand-up special, Seriously Funny, Hart doubled down on his feelings towards having a hypothetical gay son and threatened violence if he caught his son with someone of the same gender.
Initially, he refused to apologize in spite of the Academy’s ultimatum. “This is not the first time this has come up,” said Hart in a 2018 Instagram video, addressing the matter. “I’ve spoken on it. I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were.” However, the next day, he stepped down as host, claiming that he didn’t “want to be a distraction on the night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists.” Hart also apologized to the LGBTQ+ community.
Just one month ago, he told WSJ Magazine that the contentious ordeal and its subsequent backlash to be his “come-to-Jesus moment.” Watch his full 60 Minutes special below.
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