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Kevin Hart Defends Himself Over Past Homophobic Comments And Reveals He Might Host The Oscars After All

The comedian shared a lot during an appearance on "Ellen."

Kevin Hart's whirlwind Oscars debacle involving his decision to step down from hosting the show due to his controversial past continues to haunt him.

Most recently, the comedian spoke with Ellen Degeneres about how the backlash affected him, why there isn't a "homophobic bone in his body" and, interestingly, whether or not he has plans to take to the Oscars stage, after all, despite the massive scandal.

As many already know, just days after it was announced that he would be hosting the 2019 Academy Awards, a collection of offensive and homophobic tweets dating back 10 years had resurfaced. After initially refusing to apologize for the comments — a gesture he claimed to have already done — he obliged, said he was sorry and stepped down from the gig.

Now, the Night School star is explaining to Ellen why he took this route.

"Now, the slander on my name is homophobia," he said. "Now, I'm a little upset. I'm a little upset because I know who I am. I don't have a homophobic bone in my body. I know that I've addressed it, I know that I've apologized."

He went on to admit to the talk show host that while his initial reaction to the backlash was a bit harsh, he was only on edge as he spent the past decade trying to prove that he's grown, and, in his eyes, the world refused to acknowledge his newfound maturity.

"I don't wanna step on that stage and make that night about me and my past when you got people that have worked hard to step on that stage for the first time and receive an award," he continued. "I felt like it was a conversation that was going to continue and continue and continue. I would much rather say, 'I'm sorry,' again, and walk away. Because I wanna be done with the conversation... I know who I am. I'm not that guy."

Well, it appears as Ellen firmly believes in his closing sentiment as, after agreeing and adding that she "knows him," she revealed that she reached out to the Academy to cape for him to host the show, following the scandal.

"I called the Academy today because I really want you to host the Oscars," she told the comic.

It appears as her plea and pull were convincing as she claimed they quickly budged.

"'We want him to host, whatever we can do, we'd be thrilled,'" she said they told her, in response to her request. "The Academy is saying, 'What can we do to make this happen?'"

At the end of his appearance on the show, after explaining in great detail why his decision to walk away was right in his heart, Hart ultimately said he would actually reconsider the hosting gig.

"You have put a lot of things on my mind," he said. "Leaving here, I'm promising you I'm evaluating this conversation... Let me assess, just sit in the space and really think."

Take a look at the interview, below:

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