And in an interview that aired on her talk show on Friday,Ellen DeGeneresrevealed that she alsosupports the comedian, going as far ascalling the Academyto advocate for him to host the awards.
“That’s dope,” Cannon, 38, tells PEOPLE. “I love Ellen and she definitely is one of the bosses in the game. When one of the bosses calls for you, that’s always a good look. She’s an entertainment guru that’s been doing it for a long time that we all respect.”
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Hart, 39, opened up onThe Ellen DeGeneres Showabout what he felt was a “malicious attack on my character” when old homophobic tweets were brought up and subsequently led to him quitting the Oscars gig.
“To see a friend reach a moment like that, to be able to share it with him and then two days later the entire energy is shifted, it hit him pretty hard,” says Cannon, who’s currently hosting the hit new Fox seriesThe Masked Singer. “I know how important that opportunity was for him, how excited he was. He was already telling me his set and jokes and going over what he was going to do.”
Hart and DeGeneres in L.A. in 2017.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
While Hart told DeGeneres he’d reconsidertaking the hosting jobshould it beoffered to him, Cannon says he and Hart “haven’t really spoken about it.”
“If he does do it, in my opinion, it’d be solely just because he wanted to. But he definitely doesn’t need to,” Cannon says. “I know he doesn’t need to, and that’s one of the reasons I commended the stance he took. He sincerely apologized, but it wasn’t to keep a job. You never want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you’re not going to be forced or told to do something just for occupation or for money.”
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When the controversy first erupted, along with saying how“proud” he feltof how Hart handled the situation, Cannon alsoshared past homophobic tweetsfrom female comedians such as Chelsea Handler, Amy Schumer and Sarah Silverman.
“I have nothing but respect and admiration for their talent and who they are,” Cannon explains. “It wasn’t trying to point fingers. I was kind of like, who’s been in a similar situation and how was this handled? I was pointing out some selective outrage and hypocrisy that we often engage in, but it wasn’t to do a witch hunt on anyone.”
While Cannon says he hasn’t “had any real conversations” with the women he called out, he’s “looking forward to them.”
“It was like, hey look, we’ve all made mistakes,” the father of three says. “We’ve all said and done ignorant things as comedians and entertainers — myself included — but if we’re going to be upset, let’s be upset about the process and society’s approach and not just point out individuals.”
source: people.com
