Eddie Murphy Exits As Host Of 2012 Oscars, Following Brett Ratner’s Departure

Following the resignation of Brett Ratner as producer of the Oscars on Tuesday, the host the director brought on board – Eddie Murphy – has also parted ways with the awards show.

“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak said in a statement to Access Hollywood, confirming Murphy’s exit from the awards show.

In his own statement, released by the AMPAS, Murphy said he wished the show well as it moves on without him.

“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,” Murphy’s statement read.

“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,” his statement continued.

On Tuesday, Ratner resigned as producer of the show just days after the director used a homophobic slur during a Q&A session at the Los Angeles ArcLight Cinema, following a screening of his latest film, “Tower Heist,” which stars Murphy.

Last month, Murphy told Access at the “Tower Heist” junket that Ratner got him to sign on as host of the annual award show.

“Brett told me he was producing the show and he started talking about different hosts and who should host it,” Murphy explained.

“I said this, ‘If I were to ask you to do this what would you say?’ First thing he said is, ‘I would normally never take that job ever,’” the director recalled.

“We talked five -10 minutes about it and I was like, ‘Hey, you know, if I hosted that show it would give you a nice little buzz for the movie,” Murphy said at the time. “I’m kind of looking forward to it, because I haven’t done it. I’m not nervous. I might get a little excitement in my stomach before I go out. It’s a billion people watching, but I’m not nervous at all.”

The Oscars air February 26 on ABC.