Chris Rock is set to return this year as host of the 88th Academy Awards but things might not go as planned.
Amid the hue and cry over the lack of diversity at this year’s Oscars, the Hollywood actor is facing pressure from fellow celebrities to step down.
R&B singer-songwriter Tyrese Gibson and rapper 50 Cent are among many others who have requested Chris to bow out of the ceremony.
In an interview with the People magazine, Tyrese said, “The statement that you make is, you step down. That’s what you do.”
While 50 Cent posted a picture of Rock on Instagram with the caption, “Chris please do not do the Oscars awards. You mean a lot man, don’t do it. Please.”
Earlier, filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Jada Pinkett Smith also announced to skip the February 28 awards ceremony in protest.
Spike extended his support to Chris on Good Morning America this Wednesday. “He’s going to do what he wants to do, and I’m going to support either way,” he said.
Jada, whose husband Will Smith was overlooked for his role inConcussion this year, also announced on social media that she would not attend this year’s extravaganza.
Later, Will showed support to his wife saying, “There is a position that we hold in this community, and if we’re not part of the solution, we’re part of the problem.”
On the other hand, Oscar-winning actor Whoopi Goldberg advised fans to boycott the movies not the Oscars.
“Chris Rock is the host of the Academy Awards, and to boycott him seems just as bad as what everybody is saying,” she said on the talk show.
Chris has yet to comment on the ongoing controversy.
