Kevin Hart initiates legal action against YouTuber Tasha K, accusing her of attempting extortion through a controversial interview with his former assistant.
A lawsuit filed by Kevin Hart accuses a notorious YouTuber of trying to extort him with a scandalous interview featuring his ex-assistant. The actor claims that LaTasha Kebe, also known as Tasha K, demanded a hefty sum of money to keep the interview from going public.
The lawsuit states that Kebe interviewed Miesha Shakes, who worked for Hart from 2017 to 2020, in November 2023. During the interview, Shakes allegedly made “false and defamatory statements regarding Hart.”
Hart, 44, alleges that after the interview, someone associated with Kebe contacted his team and threatened to “publish the interview unless Hart paid a ransom of $250,000.” They also allegedly warned Hart that the interview would damage his reputation, as it involved his marriage and business affairs.
Kebe then uploaded a “teaser” for the interview, in which she and Shakes allegedly “touted the supposedly salacious and damaging nature” of the interview as a “threat to Hart” for not paying the “ransom.”
More about the lawsuit
The lawsuit claims that “the teaser included a statement from Kebe at the 2:06 mark of the video specifically warning that ‘when you don’t pay, we have to get money by any means necessary.’”
The Jumaji star’s team then allegedly contacted the police and sent Kebe a cease and desist letter, reminding her that Shakes had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement and a Confidentiality Agreement while working for Hart.
However, on Dec. 22, Kebe allegedly told Hart that she would release the full interview, which she did that night on her subscription-based website.
In the interview, Shakes made several allegations against Hart, including that he has a gambling problem and cheats on his wife.
The acclaimed comedian is now suing both Kebe and Shakes for extortion and invasion of privacy. He is also suing Shakes for breach of contract and defamation, and Kebe for intentional interference with contractual relations.
This is not the first time Kebe has faced legal trouble for her online content, as Hart pointed out in the lawsuit. He mentioned Kebe’s history of posting “defamatory and otherwise improper content regarding celebrities and other high-profile individuals” – such as Cardi B.
Disclaimer: Except the headline and synopsis, this story has been taken from the HT News Service.