Kevin Hart faces backlash online after quizzing Lil Nas X about why he felt conditioned to hate himself because of his sexuality

Words: Steve Brown

Kevin Hart is facing backlash online after quizzing Lil Nas X about he decided to come out.

During an episode of HBO’s conversation series, The Shop, the comedian joined other guests, including the ‘Old Town Road’ rapper who opened up about his decision to publicly come out during Pride month this year.

During the clip, Lil Nas X gets candid about announcing his sexuality and why he felt compelled to do it.

He said: “It’s not that, like, it’s being forced, it’s just knowing growing up, I’m growing up to hate this shit… homosexuality, gay people.”

Hart then pressed the rapper about ‘why’ he felt conditioned to hate himself to which Lil Nas X perfectly summed up: “Come on, now. If you’re really from the hood, you know it’s not something…

“For me, the ‘cool dude’ with the song on top of everything to say this? Any other time, I’m doing this for attention in their eyes.

“But if you’re doing this while you’re at the top, they know it’s for real and it’s showing it doesn’t really matter I guess.”

After the segment was released online, the comedian has faced backlash after people claimed Lil Nas X had to explain homophobia to him after a series of historic tweets and comments resurfaced online where he said he would do anything to stop his son from being gay.

In a segment from his 2010 comedy special Seriously Funny he said: “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay. That’s a fear.

“Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic, I have nothing against gay people.

“But me, being a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.

“Now with that being said, I don’t know if I handled my son’s first gay moment correctly.

“Every kid has a gay moment but when it happens, you’ve got to nip it in the bud!”

Now, the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star is facing online backlash again and people are claiming Lil Nas X had to explain homophobia to him.

“He said he was gay. So what!” Kevin Hart knows exactly what the “so what” is here and why a young black boy would closet his sexuality until he believed it was safe. Why not simply listen, give @LilNasX the space and deference to tell his own story… https://t.co/8nY9cHPftP

— G O L D I E. (@goldietaylor) September 4, 2019

@KevinHart4real is a fucking cunt https://t.co/fMkZx2SivP

— Carolina Restrepo (@carolofthebell_) September 5, 2019

Kevin Hart: If I can prevent my son from being gay, I will… Every kid has a gay moment but when it happens, you’ve got to nip it in the bud!

Also Kevin Hart: Why? Why? ‘Why are you raised to hate homosexuality?’

This is what homophobic gaslighting looks like. https://t.co/RIXxMJHI1r

— Decolonially Queer (@decolonialqueer) September 4, 2019

Kevin Hart’s rage and bitterness about anything to do with gay people is so jarring.
Lil Nas X seems so stable and healthy and Kevin seems so … not okay. https://t.co/ag7aDo1zg0

— Jenée (@jdesmondharris) September 4, 2019

Kevin Hart really asked ‘hate what?’ when he knows literally everyone in the early 2000’s, When lil nas x was growing up, said homophobic shit like it was nothing, and even he was guilty of it. https://t.co/9P5ITGfwsX

— Marcy (@AdahTheCat) September 5, 2019

why is Kevin Hart confused like HE didn’t centre a certain stand up performance around being afraid of his son turning out gay… https://t.co/eXK4p5tEKI

— Bero (@berocwinyy) September 5, 2019

Kevin Hart acting like he doesn’t know why Lil Nas X would be scared to come out is like someone who stole the thing you lost helping you look for it. https://t.co/ZmfRNMktel

— Phillip Henry (@MajorPhilebrity) September 4, 2019

kevin hart talked about beating his kid if he’s gay and is now trying to mitigate and tell an openly gay man homophobia is not a big deal? he is f*cking delusional. https://t.co/wdcoV7jDD9

— E🙇🏻‍♂️ (@heylias) September 4, 2019