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Statue of Kevin Hart Holding Rainbow Flag Pops Up Near Oscars Venue
Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
https://deadline.com/2019/02/statue-of-kevin-hart-holding-rainbow-flag-in-hollywood-1202563622/
Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
https://deadline.com/2019/02/statue-of-kevin-hart-holding-rainbow-flag-in-hollywood-1202563622/
Kevin Hart won’t be hosting the Oscars, but he will be outside the venue in the form of a statue waving the rainbow flag.
Los Angeles-based street artist Plastic Jesus made a replica of The Upside star and placed it near the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars will take place Sunday.
The Hart-themed sculpture is designed to look like an Oscar statue, and shows the comedian wearing a gold suit and holding the gay pride flag. The words “Hollow Apology” are written across the base of the statue.
Hart stepped down from hosting the Oscars in December amid controversy overhomophobic tweets he posted almost a decade earlier that were resurfaced on Twitter.
After initially saying he “passed” on an apology — despite a plea from the Academy — Hart ultimately did just that and apologized via Twitter on Dec. 6, writing: “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”
A statue of Kevin Hart entitled ‘Hollow Apology’ by street artist Plastic Jesus is displayed on Hollywood Boulevard on 21 February 2019. (Credit: Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Hart’s apology apparently wasn’t enough for Plastic Jesus. On Thursday, the artist shared two pictures of the statue in a since-deleted Instagram post, along with a message of support for the LGBTQ community.
“Over the past decades most countries have made great inroads fighting homophobia and hate, however the current divisive rhetoric seems to have taken us back to the 1970’s,” he added. “So much of the Entertainment industry output comes from LGBTQ Individuals we should be celebrating it and not creating a hateful environment.”
Plastic Jesus is known for making bold statements about Hollywood and politics with his art.
In 2016, he placed a tiny “border wall” topped with razor wire and miniature U.S. flags around then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Two years earlier, he left a life-sized Oscar statue with a heroin needle in its arm at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard & La Brea Ave.
He stated on Instagram that the statue was meant to bring attention to drug use, which he called “Hollywood’s best kept secret.” He mentioned Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died weeks earlier from a drug overdose, in his post.
