14 DAY TRIAL // The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is in a pickle: shortly after Brett Ratner resigned as producer of the upcoming Oscar awards as a sincere apology for the things he's said, Eddie Murphy has also bowed out as host.
While promoting his latest film, “Tower Heist,” Ratner has been giving out interviews to the left and right, some more upsetting than others.
Often bordering on vulgar and once including a gay slur, his comments during said interviews eventually cost Ratner his job as producer of the Oscars, choosing to step down from the position as a sign that he was truly sorry.
He's not leaving alone, though, Deadline informs.
Good friend and collaborator Eddie Murphy is tagging along, issuing a statement to say that, if Ratner doesn't produce, he won't host.
However, that's not to say that he doesn't understand the reasons behind Ratner's resignation, Murphy stresses.
“First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony,” the comedian says.
“I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job,” he adds in the statement.
In response, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak says they all part ways on friendly terms, with zero hard feelings.
“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” Sherak says in a separate statement.
Ratner chose to back out of producing the Oscars so as to not have his latest remarks spoil the awards because people would have naturally associated him (and the things he said) with the awards show.
Even though his resignation wasn't unexpected, as neither was that of Murphy, the Academy has to find a producer and a host with just 3 months before the show, as Deadline also points out.