Kevin Hart is suing YouTuber Tasha K, also known as Latasha Kebe, and former assistant Miesha Shakes for extortion. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, alleges that the interview violated a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) signed by Shakes and made false claims against Hart, leading to a demand for money to prevent the damaging interview from being released.
The lawsuit, obtained by TheWrap, outlines that Miesha Shakes, previously employed by Hart’s Hartbeat Productions, LLC from August 2017 to October 2020, disclosed confidential information about Hart during an interview with Tasha K for her YouTube series, “Unwine with Tasha K.” The revelations included alleged affairs and claims of a gambling problem.
A preview of the interview was posted on Tasha K’s Instagram page, and soon after, an individual “affiliated with Kebe” contacted Hart, demanding a $250,000 “ransom” to delay the release of the damaging interview. In response, Hart involved the police and issued a cease and desist order to Tasha K, citing the violation of the NDA.
The legal action doesn’t stop at extortion claims. Hart is suing Kebe, Shakes, and those associated with them for civil extortion, invasion of privacy, and defamation. Shakes faces additional charges of breach of contract, while Kebe is accused of intentional interference with contractual relations. The lawsuit highlights the false and defamatory nature of the interview, alleging that it made inaccurate statements about Hart and misrepresented legal disputes he had been involved in.
This isn’t Tasha K’s first encounter with legal troubles. In 2022, she lost a libel case against Cardi B, with a federal jury awarding close to $4 million in damages and legal costs. The rapper accused Tasha K of posting false claims, including allegations of prostitution, cocaine use, and contracting herpes.