With the 2019 Oscars a little more than a month away, the controversy over who will be hosting has never been more appropriate. In December, hours after it was announced that Kevin Hart would be hosting the awards show, the public expressed some deep-rooted concerns about the comedian headlining the prestigious awards show. Of course, controversy with celebrities is nothing new, but what exactly is going on in this situation?

So let's break this down.

First, the main grievance aired against Hart is his past, blatantly anti-homosexual tweets from as early as 2008. Though many of the tweets have been deleted by this point, one of the more shocking is his direct tweet to Dwayne Wade reading, "u should ask the question like this, how many "gay" men sweat when they wear dress shirts because real men don't lmao p.s fag"

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Second, because "the power of the people" is real, the Academy demanded that he apologize for his anti-gay remarks or step down as host. In a surprising turn of events, Hart refused to apologize, but NOT because he isn't sorry. In his Instagram video posted just days after the controversy began, Hart states, "I told them to pass. I passed on the apology. Why I passed is because I addressed this several times. That's not the first time this has come up. I've addressed it. I've spoken on it. I've said where the rights and wrongs were. I've said who I am now versus who I was then. I've done it. I've done it!

I'm not gonna continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I've moved on and I'm in a completely different space in my life." He continued by addressing the "internet trolls" claiming, "The same energy that went into finding those old tweets, can be the same energy put into finding the response to the questions that have been asked years after years after years. We feed into internet trolls and we reward them. I'm not gon do it, man. I'm gon be me. I'm gon stand my ground. Regardless of the Academy, I'm thankful and appreciative of the opportunity."

With Hart's refusal to apologize or address the issue further, it seemed the controversy was over. Hart would not be hosting The Oscars. But with a little over a month left to establish a new host, The Academy has yet to announce this year's replacement host. In a shocking turn of events, however, Hart may be the host after all. In his recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres, talk-show host and an active member of the LGBTQ community, DeGeneres addressed the controversy, ultimately rooting for him to be reinstated as the upcoming evening's Host.

Hart responded by stating, "I've moved on. I'm a grown man. I'm cultured. I'm manufactured. I'm a guy who understands now. I look at life through a different lens, and because of that, I live it a different way." Hart also expressed concern about making the night about him and his past. DeGeneres openly disagreed claiming, "I think the night will be about you, and it should be about you. You should host the Oscars."

To solidify her support, even more, DeGeneres revealed that before their interview, she had made a call to the Academy expressing her support for Hart. She openly stated that she understood Hart, accepted his earlier apologies and acknowledges that "You have grown, you have apologized, you're apologizing again right now. Don't let those people win. Host the Oscars."

Seems like a solution, right? A member of the LGBTQ community speaking out in support of Hart, ensuring that others see that forgiveness is on the horizon. But unfortunately, many people disagreed.

Some of the more shocking responses read…

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Twitter

No decision has been officially made since the news surfaced that DeGeneres would play a major role in reinstating the actor and comedian as the Oscars host. However, it should be noted, that Hart released this statement on his Twitter on December 7, 2018.

"I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's… this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazingly talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."