Ahead of Friday’s Show in Pasadena, Kevin Hart Filed Court Papers Seeking Takedown of Alleged Defamatory Interview

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart is seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting further viewing of what he maintains are defamatory statements made in a December online interview involving his former personal aide.

Hart performed Friday night in Pasadena at the Civic Auditorium.

Earlier in the day his lawyers filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly Fujie asking for an order to remove from social media the conversation between Hart’s ex-personal assistant, Miesha Shakes, and Latasha Kebe, who also is known as Tasha K.

Hart and his company, K. Hart Enterprises Inc., have suffered “irreparable harm from the continued publication and broadcasting of the Interview and related content, which includes defamatory statements, including false statements regarding Hart’s supposed criminal conduct, which are damaging to his reputation and thereby to his livelihood as a performer …” Hart’s lawyers maintain in their court papers.

Hart and Shakes had a non-disclosure agreement and Shakes breached that accord, Hart’s lawyers further allege.

“Defendants initially attempted to extort Hart into paying defendants a ransom to keep them from publishing the Interview, which they threatened would include private and damaging information about plaintiffs,” Hart’s attorneys’ court papers state. “When Hart declined to pay that ransom, defendants followed through on their threat and proceeded to publish the interview.”

The pair’s statements are “false and defamatory on their face” and the assertion that Hart faced criminal charges could easily have been disproved with “even minimal investigation,” according to Hart’s lawyers.

Shakes worked for Hart’s company from August 2017 to October 2020, the complaint filed Dec. 26 states.

Published on Kebe’s Instagram account and YouTube channel Unwine with Tasha K on Dec. 22, the interview includes allegations from Shakes that Hart, 44, had an affair at his office. Shakes also said she told Hart’s wife, Eniko, that he was being unfaithful.

The conversation interview had a preview that stated, “The interview that Kevin Hart will wish never came out,” the suit states.

The interview is still viewable online. A hearing on the TRO request is scheduled for Thursday.