Comedian Kevin Hart has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit on Tuesday against YouTuber LaTasha Kebe and his former assistant, accusing them of attempting to extort $250,000 from him in exchange for withholding the broadcast of a damaging interview about his personal life.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by The Daily Beast, Kebe, also known as Tasha K online, contacted Hart, demanding a substantial sum to prevent airing an interview conducted with Hart’s ex-assistant, Miesha Shakes, who is also named as a defendant.
Kevin Hart (Credits: Getty Images)
The interview, posted on Kebe’s website last week, is alleged to contain false and defamatory statements about Hart’s personal relationships and legal disputes he was involved in. The lawsuit claims that Kebe’s affiliate threatened Hart in November, shortly after the interview, stating that the damaging content would be made public unless a ransom was paid.
Hart refused to comply, leading Kebe to release a deleted teaser video of the interview on her YouTube channel on November 17, which the lawsuit asserts was a veiled threat against Hart. The teaser included a statement from Kebe warning that non-payment would lead to obtaining money “by any means necessary.”
The full interview, still accessible on Kebe’s website behind a paywall as of Wednesday afternoon, revealed that Shakes had signed agreements with Hart, but she argued that unspecified “loopholes” in her NDA allowed her to discuss her former boss. Hart’s lawsuit disputes the existence of any such loophole, asserting that Shakes cannot evade the consequences of violating her promises.
Kebe’s interview, titled “Kevin Harts Personal Assistant Tells All! | Gambling Addict, Habitual Cheater, Paying Millions to a Man to Take DUI Charges for Him, & Framing Best Friend of 30 Years in FAKE EXTORTION PLOT!” is cited in the lawsuit. Hart is seeking damages from both women for extortion and invasion of privacy. Additionally, he is individually suing Shakes for breach of contract and defamation and Kebe for intentional interference with contractual relations.
The lawsuit highlights Kebe’s history of spreading celebrity gossip, noting a previous case where she was ordered to pay $3 million to musician Cardi B for defaming her with unsavory claims about her personal life. As of now, representatives for Hart have not provided a comment, and attempts to reach Kebe and Shakes have been unsuccessful.
