Tweets from Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman using anti-gay slurs are under the spotlight after a row over comic Kevin Hart.

Musician and actor Nick Cannon called out the trio in the wake of a row involving Kevin Hart, who quit his role as host of the 2019 Oscars last week when a series of homophobic tweets resurfaced.

Hart sent tweets attacking “fags” as recently as 2012, while in his 2010 comedy tour he said: “As a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”

The star is far from alone in having used anti-gay slurs, however, and Cannon highlighted tweets from three white female comics who had used the same language in the past.

Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman were called out by Nick Cannon over ‘faggot’ tweets

In a 2012 tweet, Trainwreck star Amy Schumer wrote: “Enjoy skyfall fags. I’m bout to get knee deep in Helen Hunt #thesessions”

Chelsea Handler, who hosted Netflix talk show Chelsea, wrote in 2010: “This is what a fag bird likes like when he flexes.”

Wreck-It Ralph star Sarah Silverman sent a 2010 message that reads: “I dont mean this in a hateful way but the new bachelorette’s a faggot”

Sharing the messages, Cannon wrote: “Interesting🤔 I wonder if there was any backlash here…”

Sarah Silverman responded to the faggot tweets controversy

Neither Amy Schumer or Chelsea Handler have responded, but Sarah Silverman shared a Twitter thread from a gay author Greg Hogben responding to Cannon, writing: “Thread❤️.”

In the thread, Hogben wrote: “Do you remember the first time you saw someone get punched in real life? There was no sound effect ‘thwack’ like in the movies. The victim probably didn’t do a perfect movie stuntman roll. Could you feel the violence behind it? Recognize the malicious intent to inflict injury?

“That’s what homophobia feels like to me. I can feel the violence. I can feel the malicious intent.”

— Greg Hogben

“That’s what homophobia feels like to me. I can feel the violence. I can feel the malicious intent.”

He added: “There’s been a trend of LGBT allies being accused of homophobia recently… the thing is, a lot of gay guys [don’t] take offence to these comments, because we didn’t feel the violence or malicious intent behind it. Because we knew they were jokes. Because we knew these people were LGBT allies.”

The thread shared by Sarah Silverman pointed out that she, Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer are all long-time LGBT+ allies who helped fight for equality and fundraise for LGBT+ charities.

Hogben added: “We knew the history and backgrounds of these women. They used their massive platforms to help us long before marriage equality. And continue to do so.

“I can’t say the same for Kevin Hart. I can’t find a history of helping at-risk LGBT youth. To be honest, his tweets and his stand-up gig saying he’d ‘do anything not to have a gay son,’ made me bristle. In short, it *felt malicious*.

“I appreciate Kevin Hart’s apology and think it’s great that he’s ‘evolved and grown,’ but I don’t think there’s much of a comparison in your tweet. So while I understand your attempt to ‘both sides’ this issue, I hope you can see why some gay men don’t see it the same.”

Saturday Night Live comic Michael Che defended Kevin Hart

The spat comes after Saturday Night Live comic Michael Che defended Kevin Hart.

Speaking on SNL on December 8, Michael Che said: “Also if Kevin Hart isn’t clean enough to host the Oscars than no black comic is.”

Alluding to convicted sex offender Bill Cosby, he added: “The only black comic who’s cleaner than Kevin Hart is booked for the next three to ten years.”