Kevin Hart Gaslighting Lil Nas X During Interview Draws Backlash

Twitter didn't think highly of comedian Kevin Hart interrupting Lil Nas X during a conversation about the rapper's sexuality.

In a clip from The Shop: Uninterrupted, Hart ironically interrupts the rapper during a conversation about his upbringing. The interaction came during a discussion of Lil Nas X's decision to come out this year.

"I'm growing up to hate this shit," Lil Nas X said, referring to being part of the LGBTQ community. And that's when Hart jumps in and says "Hate what? Why?"

Lil Nas X thought it was pretty clear that the community he comes from has not shown clear support of the LGBTQ community in the past.

"If you're really from the hood, you know," Lil Nas X said.

And of course, Hart would know. As one of the most prominent black comedians in the country who has proudly discussed coming up from the streets, Hart has been called out repeatedly for his use of the microphone to reinforce homophobia.

After Hart was tapped to host the Academy Awards last year, a slew of past homophobic Twitter posts prompted a severe backlash. That ultimately led to Hart quitting as Oscar host and publicly apologizing to the community, while showing little remorse. It's possible engaging with Lil Nas X on the subject of homophobia was part of an ongoing public relations effort to quash friction with Hart and the LGBTQ community.

Lil Nas X goes on to say in the interview that he wanted his public coming out experience to feel authentic. That's why he did it as his breakout single, "Old Town Road," was riding the top of the charts for a record-breaking run.

"Any other time, like, I'm doing this for attention in my eyes," Lil Nas X said in the clip. "But if you're doing this while you're at the top, you know it's, like, for real. It's showing, like, it doesn't really matter."

On Twitter, some praised Lil Nas X's openness.

"Good morning to Lil Nas X, and anyone else secure, brave, and bold enough to read the brokenness out of every homo/transphobic family member attempting to project their internalization of why they cling to cisheterosexuality as a false form of protection," wrote @thurljawn.

Others criticized Hart for continuing to show a lack of understanding for the LGBTQ experience and the harms of homophobia. And many characterized the conversation as continued gaslighting of the out rapper.

"This is extremely awful and now I'm pissed. Who produced this? Why invite Lil Nas X on just to gaslight him?," wrote @nailah_andre

Watch the clip here: