Brace yourselves! Chris Rock will NOT drop out as Oscars host but confirms he has torn up his monologue and started from scratch to tackle the 'anti-white' row
- Academy Awards producer Reginald Hudlin announced on Saturday that Chris Rock will still host the Oscars
- It was revealed that Rock he re-wrote his monologue last week after Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith spearheaded a lack of diversity boycott
- Rock has been teasing his audience on Twitter with a few racially charged jokes such as, ‘The #Oscars. The White BET Awards'
Chris Rock is still on board to host the Oscars after there was speculation he may step down following the recent lack of diversity boycott.
Academy Awards producer Reginald Hudlin spoke at the 47th NAACP Image Awards Nominee Luncheon on Saturday in Los Angeles where he told ET that Rock, 50, will follow through with his duties on February 28 at 8:30 ET/5:30 PT on ABC.
The comedian will likely host with a bang and not a whimper as it was revealed that he re-wrote his monologue last week after black entertainers like Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith spearheaded a boycott due to the lack of black actors and filmmakers nominated for awards.
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Your host: Chris Rock is still on board to host the Oscars after there was speculation he may step down following the recent lack of diversity boycott
'Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room,' Hudlin told ET.
'As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, "I'm throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show."'
'Chris is that thorough,' Hudlin added. 'He's that brilliant, and I have 1000 percent confidence that he will deliver something that people will be talking about for weeks.'
Rock has been teasing his audience on Twitter with a few racially charged jokes such as, ‘The #Oscars. The White BET Awards.'
This isn't Rock's first stint hosting Hollywood's most coveted event. He also took the stage back in 2005.
Whoopi Goldberg, Lupita Nyong'o, Stacey dash, and Viola Davis are also among the entertainers who say the Oscars doesn't recognize enough black talent.
Message: The comedian will likely host with a bang and not a whimper as it was revealed that he re-wrote his monologue last week after Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith spearheaded a boycott due to the lack of black actors and filmmakers nominated for awards
Sneak preview: Rock has been teasing his audience on Twitter with a few racially charged jokes such as, ‘The #Oscars. The White BET Awards'
Viola Davis told ET that Tyrese suggested that Rock pull out of the Oscars, though she said that the lack of diversity at the award show is just a symptom of another problem.
'Like I said, the Oscars are not really the issue,' she said.
'It's a symptom of a much greater disease. But if he does [host], I hope he takes it as an opportunity to make a statement, a social statement about change. It's 2016.'
Other actors like Clint Eastwood have opposing views on the Oscars and said that it's difficult to win an Oscar whether someone is white or black, according to TMZ.
The 85-year-old then added: 'All I know is there's thousands of people in the Academy and a lot of them, the majority of them, haven't won Oscars.'
Pushing for change: Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith spearheaded a boycott due to the lack of black actors and filmmakers nominated for awards
Family support: Jada Pinkett Smith has been outspoken about the Oscars with her husband Will, who was nominated for an Oscar twice
Eastwood isn't one of the majority, however, having won four Academy Awards during his lengthy career - Best Director and Best Picture in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby and Best Director and Best Picture in 1993 for Unforgiven.
But he slammed those calling for a boycott of the ceremony after no non-white actors were nominated in the acting categories for the second year in a row, adding: 'A lot of people are crying, I guess.'
Bitish actress Charlotte Rampling, nominated for a best actress Oscar this year, said on Friday that black US director Spike Lee was 'racist to whites' for his stance over this year's all-white nominations lineup. Lee has been very outspoken on the matter.
Lee said he would skip the Academy Awards and go to the Knicks game instead.
Courtside seats: Spike Lee said he would skip the Academy Awards and go to the Knicks game instead
'My wife and I will be in my courtside seats,' he said.
'It's in the other direction, it's racist... to whites,' Rampling, nominated for her role in Andrew Haigh's romantic drama "45 Years",' told French radio.
'You can never know for sure, but maybe black actors did not deserve to be in the final selection,'Rampling, 69, said in French on Europe 1 radio.
Ms Rampling's entrance into the row was notable as she is one of this year's nominees and is shortlisted for Best Actress for her role in 45 Years.
But she released a statement on Friday evening however saying that her comments had been 'misinterpreted.'
Speaking on Europe 1 radio station in Paris, where she now lives, Ms Rampling said: ‘It’s anti-white racism. Maybe black actors don’t deserve to be on the final stretch?’Rampling, who first made her name in classic films including Georgy Girl in the 1960s, said she was also opposed to quotas being introduced to promote black actors.
Opposite view: Bitish actress Charlotte Rampling, nominated for a best actress Oscar this year, said Friday that black US director Spike Lee was 'racist to whites' for his stance over this year's all-white nominations lineup
Difficult for everyone: Other actors like Clint Eastwood have opposing views on the Oscars and said that it's difficult to win an Oscar whether someone is white or black
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