Kevin Hart Makes It Official: “Im Not Hosting the Oscars This Year”

Kevin Hart has officially—really, truly, seriously—bowed out from the Oscars conversation.

“Im not hosting the Oscars this year,” he declared in an occasionally strained Wednesday interview on Good Morning America with host Michael Strahan. He explained that with the awards ceremony just weeks away, the time crunch alone is a major hindrance. “I would like to call myself a perfectionist. So if I do something, I want to be able to give it my all, and make sure the production is a great representation of me and my talent—[but] I cant do that right now. So unfortunately, I cant do it this year. Its not gonna happen.”

However, Hart added, the Academy is full of “amazing people,” and hes not ruling out the opportunity down the line.

“In the future if it does, it does,” the comedian said of a potential Oscar-hosting gig one day. “Its not the conversation of today. The public has made it a conversation of today, but Ive removed myself from the conversation.” (Cue up that Eliza Schuyler song.)

The public may have started the conversation, but Hart has also had a hand in dragging this controversy out for about a month now. He was announced as this years Oscar host on December 4, then stepped down a few days later after old homophobic jokes and tweets resurfaced. Hes since addressed the controversy on his personal Instagram page, in a later interview with Ellen DeGeneres, and in a segment on his radio show.

Now, hes on G.M.A.—ostensibly to promote his upcoming movie, The Upside, but talk about the controversy dominated his appearance. Not that Hart was asking for that; every time Strahan asked a question about the Oscar debacle, Hart redirected and pointed out the previous times he has addressed this issue.

“Im done with it, it gets no more energy from me,” he said. “Im over that. Im over the moment.” Hart repeated that sentiment over and over, dodging all Strahans inquiries to the best of his ability. There were previous rumblings that Hart might have reconsidered and signed up to host the Oscars this year after all—rumblings that were amplified by DeGeneress plea for him to host, and Disney chief Bob Igers promise to be “open-minded” about the situation. But Hart popped that balloon of mystery once and for all on G.M.A.

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Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:Golden Globes 2019: The Best Beauty Looks from the Red CarpetYohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.