Kevin Hart steps down from hosting 2019 Oscars
Comedian makes announcement over criticism of past anti-gay tweets.
Kevin Hart's ex-wife, Torrei, spoke out in defense of the comedian after he backed out of hosting the Oscars over allegedly homophobic tweets and jokes.
"He's not [homophobic]," Torrei, 40, who divorced the comic in 2011, told Inside Edition on Monday. "He's a comedian and he was just making a joke."
Torrei shares son Hendrix, 11, and daughter Heaven, 13, with the "Night School" star, who came under fire for saying in a standup special that he feared his son "growing up and being gay ... Be happy. Do what you want to do. But me, as a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will."
Torrei took no issue with that bit.
"I don't think he wants a gay son," she admitted, explaining, "You want your son to be like you. If our son was to turn up gay ... I think he would love him the same."
Kevin, 39, initially refused to apologize for his past remarks despite pressure from ABC, but eventually said in a statement on Twitter, "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."
Torrei didn't think he should have said he was sorry.
"I stand with him," she added of her ex-husband, "I don't think he should have apologized."
She added that she was devastated that Kevin had to give up a childhood dream because of the backlash.
"Come from the ghetto and we fight and fight and fight," she lamented. "He would have been a great host."
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