Kevin Hart has said that he is “over” talking about whether he will host the Oscars amid controversy over alleged homophobic tweets.
The comedian and actor, who had described the presenting gig as “the opportunity of a lifetime”, stepped down from the helm shortly after he was announced in December after offensive tweets from 2009 and 2011 resurfaced online.
Speculation has persisted that Hart would change his mind and host the star-studded bash after all but the 39-year-old made a firm statement on Wednesday, saying that he would not be part of the show and was “over” talking about it.
He told Good Morning America: “"I'm done with it, it gets no more energy from me and that's why I said it's the last time I'm addressing this. There is no more conversation about it.
"I'm literally over that. I'm over the moment ... if it's accepted, great, and if it's not, it's nothing I can control. I'm not saying how I've changed anymore, I'm giving no more explanation of who I am, I've done it.
“I've done it several times and I've tweeted it, I've talked about it when I went on Ellen and on the radio show - I'm just done.”
He added that the backlash Ellen DeGeneres received for supporting him “showed that there is no end and that feeding the controversy will only make it grow”.
DeGeneres faced criticism from fans after she revealed that she had called the Academy to try and get Hart reinstated, later posting a rallying cry on Twitter.
Hart’s latest screen role in The Upside sees him as a carer for a quadriplegic billionaire, played by Bryan Cranston.
