Actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
Comedian Kevin Hart has stepped down as host of the Academy Awards after an intense backlash over past homophobic tweets that resurfaced just days after he landed the gig.
"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 amazing talented artists," Hart wrote in a statement on Twitter.
Hart had since deleted some of the anti-gay tweets, which according to Buzzfeed mostly dated from 2009-2011, but screenshots of them have been widely circulated on social media sparking a furore.
"Keep in mind, I'm not homophobic, 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," he said.
Hart initially responded on Instagram by saying that he "loves everybody" and his critics were "searching for reasons to be angry" and should "stop being negative" after the tweets resurfaced.
"The team calls me, 'Oh my god Kevin, the world is upset about tweets you did years ago,' oh my god," he said.
"I'm almost 40 years old. If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve? I don't know what to tell you.
"If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify their past then do you, I'm the wrong guy, man.
Fellow comedian Billy Eichner, who is gay, earlier tweeted that "many of us have jokes/tweets that we regret" but he could see "real truth, anger and fear" behind the unearthed tweets.
"I hope Kevin's thinking has evolved since 2011," he said.
After Hart's apology, Eichner added, "A simple, authentic apology showing any bit of understanding or remorse would have been so simple.
The 91st Academy Awards will be held on February 25.