Arts & Entertainment
Michael Che defends Kevin Hart in Oscars controversy
Nick Cannon, DL Hughley also defend the comedian

Michael Che (Screenshot via YouTube)
Michael Che defended Kevin Hart amid the Oscars controversy during the “Weekend Update” segment on the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
Hart was on board to host the Academy Awards in February but stepped down after old homophobic tweets and jokes resurfaced.
“I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” Hart apologized on Thursday. “I am evolving and want to continue to do so.”
Che kicked off his commentary by criticizing the Academy for nominating Mel Gibson for Best Director for “Hacksaw Ridge” despite Gibson’s track record of making antisemitic, homophobic and racist comments.
“Didn’t the Academy nominate Mel Gibson for an award just last year?” Che asks.”If Kevin Hart isn’t clean enough to host the Oscars, then no black comic is. The only black comic I know that’s cleaner than Kevin Hart is booked for the next three to 10 years.”
A photo of Bill Cosby appears on screen after the joke.
Che isn’t the only comedian to defend Hart. Nick Cannon posted old tweets from female comedians Chelsea Handler, Amy Schumer and Sarah Silverman which include the word “fag” or “faggot.”
“Interesting. I wonder if there was any backlash here,” Cannon tweeted.
Interesting? I wonder if there was any backlash here… https://t.co/0TlNvgYeIj
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) December 8, 2018
DL Hughley also made it clear he stands by Hart in a series of tweets.
Well played @KevinHart4real! Fuck em if they can’t take a joke!! #TeamDl ??????? pic.twitter.com/gDXIHFExJh
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) December 7, 2018
A Comedian says something that offends people and refuses to apologize? What do I say?…..Fuck em if they can’t take a joke! Well done #KevinHart #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) December 7, 2018
“Pose” star and transgender actress Indya Moore called out Hughley for defending Hart but Hughley stood firm on his viewpoint.
Fail!! Lol!!!! I make a living doing what love, put kids through college, paid for my homes, and travel the world, and still don’t give a shit what a pussy like u thinks
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) December 7, 2018
Online Culture
Clavicular charged in alleged rape of teenage influencer
Online personality’s real name is Braden Peters
Online personality Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been accused of rape.
According to NBC, Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, an 18-year-old influencer known online as Alorah or Alorah Ziva, accused Peters of sexual assault, and the case is making its way through the court system.
The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2025, when Mendoza was 17.
According to a criminal complaint from the Chatham (Mass.) Police Department, Peters called her an Uber to his family’s home. Once there, he allegedly got her drunk on vodka while they livestreamed on Twitch and then raped her. His mother and grandmother were allegedly in the house.
The documents allege Clavicular committed rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring and providing liquor to a person under 21.
According to court documents acquired by NPR, Mendoza began communicating with Peters on Instagram, where he paid her to appear on his livestreams to help her “make her name known on social media.”
According to those documents, Peters arranged for the minor to come to Cape Cod home to participate in a videostream for his 437,000 followers on Kick, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
At his home, Peters allegedly instructed Mendoza to say she was 18 on his videostream and to claim the alcohol on camera was water instead of vodka. Mendoza said she felt peer-pressured to drink the spirit and that she became noticeably intoxicated after a couple of drinks.
The allegations go on to state that after stopping the stream, Peters and Mendoza kissed on a couch and then had sex in his bed without her consent. Mendoza said she did not receive a sexual assault forensic exam after the incident. NPR does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.
The charges come months after Mendoza sued Peters in Miami, accusing him of sexual battery in connection with the events of May 2025. The civil lawsuit also separately alleges that he injected her face with a non-FDA-approved fat-dissolving substance during a November livestream in Florida.
Peters is known for his “looksmaxxing” concept of vanity, which is at the core of his online presence. The “looksmaxxing” culture he has helped cultivate combines elements of incel culture and heterosexuality, with the stated goal of attracting the opposite sex. He has gone as far as to say he has undergone “bonesmashing,” or hitting his own face with a hammer; taken anabolic steroids to more rapidly grow muscle; and used crystal meth as an appetite suppressant.
At the same time, looksmaxxing has been described as having elements of homoeroticism, with “looksmaxxers” appearing more concerned with impressing other men than women. Peters has multiple times pointed to openly gay actor Matt Bomer as the gold standard for male facial aesthetics.
Peters’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Photos
PHOTOS: Shenandoah Valley Pride
LGBTQ celebration held at Turner Pavilion in Harrisonburg, Va.
The 2026 Shenandoah Valley Pride Festival was held at Turner Pavilion in Harrisonburg, Va. on Sunday, Sept. 20.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
















Whitman-Walker Health held the 40th annual Walk and 5K to End HIV at Anacostia Park on Saturday, Sept. 19.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



















