Not Dakota Johnson, Not Kathy Griffin: This 2000s Ellen Interview Still Leaves Fans Divided

Many fans know why Dakota Johnson isn't a fan of Ellen DeGeneres, or why Kathy Griffin can't stand the talk show host, but one of DeGeneres' most divisive moments came when she defended Kevin Hart. Shortly after he was selected to host the Academy Awards, the "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star came under fire when past homophobic comments and tweets he made resurfaced in December 2018. The tidal wave of backlash was so intense that Hart stepped down from hosting the upcoming Oscars. "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time. "I am evolving and want to continue to do so," Hart tweeted in a follow-up post.

The following month, Hart appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where he addressed the controversy. Somewhat surprisingly, DeGeneres not only publicly forgave Hart but also said that she had put in a good word for him. "So I called the Academy today. Because I really want you to host the Oscars," she told the "Night School" actor, while adding that the Academy was very interested in having him resume hosting duties. DeGeneres said that most of the fallout came from a "small group" and that Hart should be forgiven for past indiscretions. "As a gay person ... I am sensitive to all of that," she added.

However you feel about this, the only positive way through it is to talk about it. Thank you for being here, @KevinHart4real. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FVKZ6FIQAx

— The Ellen Show (@TheEllenShow) January 4, 2019

Unsurprisingly, DeGeneres faced backlash for defending Hart. Some viewers sided with her stance, but most expressed disappointment in how she handled the matter. "You're absolving a man who had never truly apologized, or changed," one X user commented. "Talking without challenge isn't a discussion, it's pandering," another wrote. Later that year, Hart gave fans a look behind-the-scenes at his decision to go on "Ellen" and discuss the Oscars controversy.

A year after he stepped down from hosting the Oscars, Kevin Hart released a Netflix docuseries titled "Kevin Hart: Don't F*** This Up" in December 2019. Cameras caught him discussing the blowback from his unearthed homophobic tweets with his team and choosing to appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" while the fallout was still taking place. An interview filmed later showed the "Get Hard" actor reflecting on how he mishandled the ordeal. "What I thought was going to blow over ended up becoming a bigger mess than I expected," he told cameras (via Fox News). Hart said he wished he had apologized for his homophobic comments sooner. "I missed an opportunity to say simply that I don't condone any type of violence in any way, shape or form to anyone for being who they are," he added.

The following year, when DeGeneres was being canceled for her alleged misconduct behind-the-scenes, Hart was able to repay the favor and show some grace to the maligned talk show host. Taking to Instagram in August 2020, the comedian posted a photo of himself and DeGeneres when he had been a guest on "Ellen." He included a lengthy caption where he gushed over DeGeneres. "I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the f***ing planet," Hart wrote. The post also inferred that part of the backlash against DeGeneres was the product of mob mentality. "The internet has become a crazy world of negativity ... we are falling in love with peoples down fall," Hart added. 

The gesture did not go unnoticed, as shortly after making the post, Hart was spotted grabbing lunch with DeGeneres at a restaurant in Montecito, California.