The AcademyChris Rock hasn't figured out how he'll address the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his opening monologue at the 2016 Academy Awards.
The rep for this year's host tells E! News in a statement that Rock didn't rewrite his monologue to call out the situation, despite what producer Reggie Hudlin said over the weekend. "Regarding Reggie Hudlin's comments about Chris Rock's Oscar hosting duties, neither he nor anyone else speaks for Chris," Leslie Sloane, Rock's rep, tells us. "All will be revealed on February 28th We will not comment further on this."
Sloane's response comes after Hudlin claimed Rock was making changes to his opening act as a result of the controversy surrounding this year's show. "Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room," Hudlin said to Entertainment Tonight. "As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, 'I'm throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show.'"
Although some called for Rock to boycott the Oscars in order to send a message, Rock will continue to host as planned. Shortly after the nominations were announced, however, he did joke that the Oscars are the "White BET Awards."
So far Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Spike Lee are not attending this year's awards show. Other stars have criticized The Academy for its lack of diversity, including Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. The subsequent outcry became so much that The Academy responded last week by announcing a major overhaul in its membership and how it will operate in the future.
"At the Oscars...people of color are always welcomed to give out awards...even entertain," Pinkett-Smith wrote on Twitter. "But we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together? People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment."
George Clooney, Mark Ruffalo, Lupita Nyong'o and more have also spoken out.