“Pose” star Billy Porter sent a stern message to Kevin Hart and DL Hughley after they showed insensitivity in the face of criticism over past homophobic comments: “Fuck you. We’re done.”
Hart became embroiled in controversy last month after he initially refused to apologize for years-old homophobic comments, which led to his ousting as the host of the 2019 Oscars awards ceremony. He went on to apologize after stepping down from his hosting gig, but the damage had been done.
Hughley, an actor and radio personality, stormed to Hart’s defense on Twitter. “A Comedian says something that offends people and refuses to apologize?” he asked. “What do I say? … Fuck em if they can’t take a joke!”
After Hughley drew criticism from Indya Moore, a transgender black woman who also stars on “Pose,” he called her a “pussy.”
Porter waited for the right opportunity to pounce on the Hughley and Hart for their combination of homophobia and sexism, blasting them in a December interview with Consequence of Sound for thinking “they don’t need to apologize for shit and dig their heels in their toxic masculinity.”
Porter, who recently earned a Golden Globes nomination for his role as Pray Tell in “Pose,” made it clear in his interview that he wanted to “get into this Kevin Hart thing for just a second.”
“But you want your rights!” Porter continued. “You want people to stop shooting your children in the back? But yet still, you turn around and oppress other people the same way you’re being oppressed.”
The older homophobic comments at the heart of the issue stemmed from 2009-2011 when Hart called celebrities “gay” and “fag” in now-deleted tweets and threatened to use violence against his son if he played with dolls.
Hart noted in a tweet on December 7 — one day after he issued a non-apology on Instagram — that he was opting to step down from the Oscars “because I don’t want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists.”
“I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” he said.
Porter has spent more than two decades in the entertainment industry as a stage performer, singer, and actor. In 2013, he earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical after he starred as Lola in “Kinky Boots.”
