Kevin Hart's Ex-Assistant Fires Back at Comedian's Defamation Lawsuit, Challenges 'Illegal' NDA
Kevin Hart’s ex-assistant Miesha Shakes isn’t going down without a fight.
More than one month after the comedian filed a lawsuit accusing Shakes of defaming him during an interview with controversial blogger Tasha K, his former assistant clapped back by denying all allegations of wrongdoing brought up by Hart.
Shakes, who worked for the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actor from August 2017 until October 2020, demanded the dismissal of Hart's lawsuit, insisting the funny man failed to specifically explain which statements from Shakes' interview were defamatory.
She further argued the case be thrown out since "the statements challenged as false and defamatory, to the extent they can be determined, are substantially true," according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com.
Shakes' legal filing noted some of her remarks were solely her opinion and therefore couldn't be deemed defamatory.
She denied maliciously going out of her way to harm Hart during the sit-down interview and claimed the A-list star wasn't at all damaged by her admissions.
On top of requesting the defamation lawsuit be dismissed, Shakes challenged the non-disclosure agreement she signed during her employment with Hart, alleging it 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 explained the NDA was "invalid as it was entered into against Shakes' will by taking advantage of her mental state/incapacity or by using threat or force."
The pair's legal battle first exploded in December 2023, when Hart sued Shakes and Tasha K because of their tell-all chat, accusing the duo of spreading false information and claiming he was offered a bribe by his ex-assistant ahead of the interview's release to the public.
Hart allegedly received a phone call from Shakes, who supposedly told him the conversation wouldn't air if he handed over $250,000.
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Instead, the Lift actor said he phoned the police to report the alleged case of extortion before sending a cease and desist to Tasha K warning her the interview went against his and Shakes’ NDA.
In his lawsuit, Hart detailed: "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."
"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," he continued.
Hart concluded: "I also endorse various national brands, and those endorsement deals depend in part on a public perception of my reputation, respectability, and character."
Hart's emergency request for Tasha K's video interview to be taken down was denied by a judge.
Like Shakes, the internet personality's company also asked for the lawsuit's dismissal.