Kevin Hart Defends Friend, Ellen DeGeneres: “In times like this, I know how dark it gets.”

On Monday,  Ellen DeGeneres  announced in a video call to her staff of over 200 people about the new changes she’s implementing regarding the accusations of a toxic work environment behind her daytime talk show.

In a tearful apology, DeGeneres acknowledged the ongoing complaints some of the staff has had while working on the show. The host also explained the firing of three senior producers after complaints surfaced about racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct, and other issues amongst the staff of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” according to Variety.

With all of this news circulating over the past several months, actor and comedian, Kevin Hart has come forward in support of and to defend the 62-year-old host. Earlier this month, Hart called DeGeneres “one of the dopest people on the f***ing planet”. The comedian went on to criticize the media and the Internet saying it’s become “a crazy world of negativity.” He also went on to say, “We are falling in love with people’s downfall. It’s honestly sad... When did we get here?”

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In an interview with Deadline, Hart explained why he took to DeGeneres’s defense. “I don’t lose sight of the definition of friendship... There’s a lot of relationships that are fake, and there’s some that are real. In my case, the ones that are real are the ones that I’m always going to be adamant about speaking on behalf of.”

The 41-year-old comedian also said in the interview, “In times like this, I know also how dark it gets. I know how lonely it gets because I know that these are times when people just turn their backs on you.”

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“So for the ones that you love, that are close to your heart, you just want them to have some support when it seems that there is none out there, and that’s just who I am as a person,” he told Deadline.

Hart made sure to acknowledge that he doesn’t want to take away from the accusations. “That’s not to take away from what other people are saying that they have had and that they have done. It’s just to highlight what I’m saying I know, and what I can speak on behalf of.”

Hart has faced his share of backlash from the media when past homophobic comments made by the actor surfaced in 2018. Hart ended up apologizing and stepping down as host of the 2019 Oscar show.

DeGeneres and Hart were recently seen out together sharing a hug and having some wine at a beach club in Santa Barbara, California.