Comedian Kevin Hart has filed an extortion and defamation lawsuit against YouTube personality Tasha K after first sending the blogger a cease-and-desist letter on Nov. 22.
The controversial blogger born LaTasha Kebe is accused of trying to extort “The Upside” actor for $250,000 by threatening to publish a scathing interview with his former assistant, Miesha Shakes.
Hart reportedly first sent the blogger a cease-and-desist letter in November advising her that he would not pay the $250,000 he asserts one of her representatives requested to quash the interview. The sit-down with Shakes claims Hart — who was previously involved in a cheating scandal while his wife, Eniko Hart, was pregnant — is a serial cheater and gambler.
“You have already engaged in criminal conduct and tortious acts that would entitle Mr. Hart to monetary damages against you should he elect to commence civil litigation regarding this matter,” read the letter, according to The Blast. “To the extent that you do not cease and desist now, your liability for such monetary damages will increase, as will your exposure to criminal penalties.”
Eniko forgave her husband following the 2017 cheating scandal after he offered a public apology online. According to her husband’s rep, Donte Mills, someone from his team was contacted by another individual who was “affiliated” with Tasha K.
The “Ride Along” actor’s team also reportedly informed the police about the alleged extortion attempt and told investigators that she threatened to release the interview which “supposedly includes scandalous assertions against” Hart, the claim states.
“Hart and his representatives contacted the police and did not pay the ransom that Kebe was demanding,” read the complaint.
Investigators were also directed to a “teaser” video the blogger shared on YouTube and Instagram, showing Shakes having a sit-down for the show, “Unwine With Tasha K.” The video is captioned, “Explosive! Kevin Hart’s PA Tells All! | Gambling Addict, Cheater, Extortion, 4 Million DUI Payoff.”
“It is time for Hollywood to hear this story especially because a lot of people are locked in non-disclosures and they’re not able to talk and protect themselves,” said Shakes. “But [if] you have to protect the person you’re working for, where’s your protection?”
She also claimed that Hart played too much poker and twice impregnated an employee from Hart’s company, “HartBeat Studios.” She also claimed she once told his wife Eniko, “Kevin is cheating on you with a girl named ‘Mixed Morgan.’ She’s his flight attendant. She’s on his planes.”
Hart is also suing Shakes for breach of contract and defamation after she signed a confidentiality agreement in 2017 and again in 2020 in exchange for $30K a year for three years. The suit states that her interview breached that contract due to “false and defamatory statements regarding Hart and certain legal disputes in which he had been involved.”
“Shakes acknowledged that she and Plaintiffs were, in fact, party to the NDA, but claimed that the agreement had unspecified “loopholes” that she apparently contended would enable her to escape the consequences of her brazenly violating her promises to Plaintiffs and the NDA and Confidentiality Agreement’s terms.”
The suit also points out Tasha K’s controversial “history of posting defamatory and otherwise improper content regarding celebrities,” such as her $4 million defamation case against Cardi B.
Comedian Kevin Hart's defamation lawsuit against YouTuber Tasha K is local here in LA.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 28, 2023
The 21-page complaint outlines an extortion attempt that Hart was having no part of.
"Hart and his representatives contacted the police and did not pay the ransom that Kebe was demanding." pic.twitter.com/pIWDmro6Fs
The “Bodak Yellow” singer sued her for falsely claiming that she’d worked as a prostitute, had an STD, and did hard drugs. Tasha K lost the case.
The new lawsuit comes as Hart’s wife sparked speculation that her husband had strayed again after she shared an Instagram Story on Christmas Eve that said, “The level of ‘idgaf’ I reached this year is crazy.”
Hart and his wife were married in 2016 and share 6-year-old Kenzo and 3-year-old Kaori Mai. Hart also has two children with ex-wife, Torrei — 18-year-old Heaven and 16-year-old Hendrix.
He is suing Tasha K, her company, Kebe Studios, LLC, and Shakes for civil extortion and invasion of privacy. Tasha K is also being sued for intentional interference with contractual relations.
Shakes’ interview was published via Tasha K’s paid subscription website on Dec. 27.
ABS reached out to Hart’s lawyers but have yet to receive a response.
