Actor and activist Terry Crews spoke out about his concerns over the way his friend Kevin Hart has addressed a controversy that cost the comedian his job as an Oscars host.
As Blavity reported, Hart has issued varied apologies after being fired for making statements against the LGBTQ community on Twitter. In his latest mea culpa, the comedian said that while he's sorry, being an ally to the LGBTQ community is "not my life dream."
In a conversation with BuzzFeed, Crews addressed Hart directly and asked the comedian to take responsibility for what he said.
"The truth is, Kevin, you're not being attacked," Crews said. "The truth is you have to just acknowledge what went on and acknowledge the pain of other people. That’s all anybody's asking for. That's it."
Crews also advised Hart, who he referred to as his "brother," to take some time to listen carefully to his critics. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star compared Hart's current mindset to his own when his wife corrects him on something.
After you're called out, "you can get hardened," Crews said, adding, "The hard part is when you put down the defenses, and you say, 'Wait a minute, I'm not listening.'"
As Boston.com notes, the Oscars controversy isn't the first time Hart has been accused of being anti-gay. In his 2010 comedy special Seriously Funny, the comedian emphatically said he doesn't want his son to be gay.
“Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic,” Hart said at the time. “I have nothing against gay people, do what you want to do, but me, being a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”
Crews' advice comes after Hart appeared on Good Morning America to announce he was "done" talking about his anti-LGBTQ tweets.
"I have an understanding that I've addressed it, and I've said everything I can possibly say, so I'm over it," the comedian said.
At the moment, the Oscars has not yet named a replacement. NBC News reports the ceremony plans to do without a host for the first time in 30 years.
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