Kevin Hart made his mark in Hollywood playing the part of the funny, outspoken guy willing to say what others will not, both on the big screen and in a successful stand-up career. Recently, that outspokenness landed the comedian in hot water after he tweeted in defense of Ellen Degeneres and Nick Cannon regarding the controversies surrounding the two. In an interview, Hart explained that his public show of support stemmed from a desire to stand by people he considers his true friends.

"I don't lose sight of the definition of friendship, and in our business, it's one thing that people don't really hold on to. There's a lot of relationships that are fake, and there's some that are real. In my case, the ones that are real are the ones that I'm always going to be adamant about speaking on behalf of. I know the people that both of them are, and knowing the people, all I can say is my experiences with those people. That's not to take away from what other people are saying that they have had, and that they have done. It's just to highlight what I'm saying I know, and what I can speak on behalf of."

The controversy surrounding Nick Cannon was kicked off from a series of messages by the actor and television host that were deemed to be anti-semitic, which he subsequently apologized for after a public outcry against Cannon. The controversy around Ellen DeGeneres was much longer in the making, dating back to years of allegedly toxic behavior on the sets of her daytime talk show from producers and Ellen herself. For Hart, it is important to remember how difficult times hit individuals, and the support they need from their friends to get through them.

"In times like this, I know also how dark it gets. I know how lonely it gets, because I know that these are times when people just turn their back on you. So for the ones that you love, that are close to your heart, you just want them to have some support, when it seems that there is none out there, and that's just who I am as a person. That goes for anybody, across the board, that I consider a friend, and that's not a big group of people."

"Everybody doesn't get that conversation and that feeling from me, but the ones that do, I'm serious about it. I'm true to it, and it doesn't mean that you have to speak on behalf of the problem. It doesn't mean that you have to disregard the things that others are saying. It means that I can just speak on my relationship with my friends. When it comes to Nick, and it comes Ellen, I know who they are, and I know who they've been for the years that I've been around them, and I can only speak to that. Those are two of the most amazing people that I know."

Kevin Hart's thoughts were first shared at Deadline.