Kevin Hart is suing YouTuber Tasha K and his formal personal assistant Miesha Shakes for attempting to extort him for an interview that he claims features “false and defamatory statements regarding Hart and certain legal disputes in which he had been involved.”
via: Radar Online
Hart’s ex-assistant Miesha Shakes denied she defamed the comedian during an interview with controversial blogger Tasha K — and demanded she be dismissed from his bombshell lawsuit.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Shakes, who worked for Hart from August 2017 to October 2020, denied all allegations of wrongdoing in Hart’s complaint.
Shakes argued that Hart’s lawsuit failed to explain which specific statements she made he believed were defamatory.
In addition, she said his claims are barred because “the statements challenged as false and defamatory, to the extent they can be determined, are substantially true.”
Shakes’ lawyer added some of the statements were not defamatory because the statements were simply Shakes’ opinion.
Hart’s ex-assistant denied she acted with malice during the sit-down interview. Further, she said Hart wasn’t damaged by her statements.
Shakes also argued the non-disclosure agreement she signed with Hart was “invalid/illegal and cannot be enforced based on mental or physical incapacity which prevented Shakes from having the legal capacity to enter into or understand the contract.”
She argued the NDA she signed was “invalid as it was entered into against Shakes’ will by taking advantage of her mental state/incapacity or by using threat or force.”
As a result, Shakes demanded all claims against her be dismissed.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, in December, Hart sued Shakes and Tasha K over a recent interview.
Hart claimed Shakes spread lies about him during the sit-down. To make matters worse, he claimed before Tasha published the interview online, she had an associate of hers call his team.
Hart said the associate said the interview would not air if the comedian paid $250k. Hart said he refused to pay and called the police to report the alleged extortion.
Hart fired off a cease and desist to Tasha that warned her the interview was a breach of Shakes’ NDA. The entertainer said he paid Shakes for 3-years after her employment ended.
In court documents, Hart said, “Shakes made statements about me that were simply false, including that I supposedly made a secret video recording of a sexual encounter and faced criminal charges regarding that supposed incident. I did not record any such video, and I have never faced criminal charges in connection with that alleged incident or any related matters.”
He added, “Working in the entertainment industry, my livelihood depends in large part on my reputation and the public’s perception of me. That perception is of particular concern in light of the fact that I am involved in a number of family-oriented projects, such as the Jumanji franchise, Fatherhood, Captain Underpants, the Secret Life of Pets, and others.”
The comedian added, “I also endorse various national brands, and those endorsement deals depend in part on a public perception of my reputation, respectability, and character.” A judge denied Hart’s emergency request for an injunction that would have forced Tasha to remove the video.
Earlier this week, Tasha K’s company demanded the suit be thrown out. The case is ongoing.
