Kevin Hart Won’t Host Academy Awards; Doesn’t Want To Be Oscar Night Distraction
EXCLUSIVE: Despite the efforts of former host Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Hart will not reemerge as host of the 91st Academy Awards, multiple sources are telling Deadline. While this situation is still fluid and he could possibly change his mind, this looks like his final answer, I’m told.
The Academy will continue on its course toward an Oscarcast without a single host, and instead will enlist some of the biggest names in the games to present awards. Hart’s appearance on Ellen to promote his upcoming film The Upside rekindled hope when DeGeneres — whom sources said turned down the job awhile ago — urged Hart to host and made calls to the Academy.
Hart was moved by DeGeneres’ gesture and indeed reconsidered, and he has apologized so often that the Academy would have been receptive to his retu