Ellen DeGeneres spotted catching up with Kevin Hart after roaring backlash over his defence of a ‘friend in trouble’
Kevin Hart and Ellen DeGeneres at the 2017 People’s Choice Awards. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty)
Ellen DeGeneres was spotted dining on Saturday (August 15) with one of her fiercest allies, Kevin Hart, shortly after the comedian leapt to the defence of the embattled host.
DeGeneres was photographed with Hart a week after he ardently defended her from allegations that her happy-go-lucky persona isn’t all it seems.
The pair met at the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, on a sun-splashed day. They embraced, sipped wine and shared stories, People reported.
The chat show is no stranger to being photographed with controversial figures – she was snapped a sports game last year with former US president George W Bush.
These two. pic.twitter.com/Gs1JGZ61H8
— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) August 16, 2020
Kevin Hart has remained an ally of Ellen Degeneres since she defended him during his own online backlash.
Ellen DeGeneres’ reputation has been thrown into disarray after a deluge of accusations were levelled against her and her eponymous chat show by former staffers, celebrities and audience members.
Many have spoken out about a workplace culture seething with bullying, racism and sexual misconduct. DeGeneres, meanwhile, has been labelled “moody”, with one former guest claiming she snaps out of her beloved “kind” character as soon as cameras stopping filming.
The allegations have prompted a small group of celebrities to come out of the woodwork to support the embattled host. Scooter Braun, Katy Perry and Diane Keaton have all taken to social media to rebuke claims that DeGeneres is “mean“.
Kevin Hart leapt to her defence in an Instagram post. “It’s crazy to see my friend go thru [sic] what she’s going thru [sic] publicly,” he wrote.
“I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f**king planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day one.”
He returned to the social network to complain about the “roar of frustration” he received for standing by his “friend in trouble”.
“I’m a friend… if I have a friend in trouble ever I’m a do my best to be there for that friend,” he said.
Hart is likely remembering his own experiences as the subject of controversy. DeGeneres famously stood alongside him when he was widely condemned for a series of homophobic tweets he made between 2009 and 2012.
At the time a number of prominent LGBT+ figures and journalists slammed DeGeneres for dismissing Hart’s critics as “haters” and urging him to backtrack on his decision to quit as host of the Oscars.
