Kevin Hart, it seems is yet to tear himself away from controversy and it just seems to be getting worse for the comedian day after day. This is in spite of several stars and his friends in the industry coming out and vocally supporting him.
In one of his most recent tweets, Hart quoted Martin Luther King Jr (MLK) and this hasn't gone down well for him.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy," he wrote, taking a gist of one of history's most important and well-known speeches.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King, Jr.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
It is not clear what exactly Hart tried to achieve by quoting MLK. Perhaps, he wanted to sound and make his decision to step aside seem noble either way but his move was met with sharp criticism online.
You’re quoting Martin? Finally, you’re making me laugh!
— Patricia Smith (@pswordwoman) December 8, 2018
One of the sharpest clap-backs to Hart came from former Daily Beast critic Ira Madison, who put that part of the speech into context, "The rest of quote is, 'The true neighbour will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life."
Rest of quote is “The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.” https://t.co/D8EVu1WGtl
— Ira (@ira) December 8, 2018
"That's what happens when you google a quote to make a point but haven't actually read it before," said Madison.
That’s what happens when you google a quote to make a point but haven’t actually read it before pic.twitter.com/2hxtgMmXpi
— Ira (@ira) December 8, 2018
While most of his friends in the industry and several noted celebrities supported Hart's decision to not apologise, others were not on board with his decision to step down. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis and Emmy winner Lena Waithe called out Hart's stepping down as they felt that this could have set a precedent, a teachable moment for people in general.
For those who are not caught up with the whole story, Hart was named as the host of the Oscars 2019. The move was seen as a great choice and was received positively everywhere. A few old tweets of his "edgy" jokes were dug up from 2009 and people started to demand an apology.
The Academy wanted him to apologise for what he said nearly a decade ago, he refused to apologise and stepped down. "I just got a call from the Academy and that call basically said, 'Kevin, apologize for your tweets of old or we're going to have to move on to find another host,' talking about the tweets from 2009, 2010," Hart said in a video posted to Instagram. "I chose to pass, I passed on the apology. The reason why I've passed is that I've addressed it several times."
Hart got the gig and stepped down all in a matter of two to three days.
