Eddie Murphy quits as Oscars host after gay row

Eddie Murphy. AP FILE PHOTO

LOS ANGELES—Veteran star Eddie Murphy has quit as host of next year’s Oscars show, following his long-time producer Brett Ratner who resigned after making an anti-gay slur, organizers said Wednesday.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced Murphy’s departure a day after Ratner — director of current box office hit “Tower Heist,” in which Murphy stars — quit as producer of the February show.

“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” said Sherak in a statement.

Murphy said: “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.

“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 added in the Oscars statement.

No immediate replacement was announced for either Murphy or Ratner.

Ratner, a prolific director and producer whose work also includes 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” made the offending comment at a discussion about “Tower Heist” last week, in response to a question about how he works.

“Rehearsal is for fags,” he replied.

The Los Angeles Times commented in a blog: “Ratner not only embarrassed the academy by insulting legions of gay people (who are perhaps the Oscars’ last remaining loyal demographic).

“He also made himself look like even more of an artistic featherweight by making it clear that he views the hard work and preparation that most filmmakers put into their craft — i.e. rehearsal time — as being for chumps, not fast-talking smoothies like himself.”

Next year’s Oscars show — the 84th Academy Awards, at which Hollywood’s most coveted prizes, the famous golden statuettes, are handed out — is scheduled for February 26.