Kevin Hart’s ex-assistant argued for the non-disclosure agreement she signed after leaving her job with the comedian should not be enforced as part of their legal battle, In Touch can exclusively reveal.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Miesha Shakes, who worked for Kevin from 2017 to 2020, admitted she signed an NDA after ending her employment with the actor.
However, she said she was suffering “mental health issues” when it was executed.
Last year, Kevin, 44, sued Miesha, YouTuber Tasha K and Yellen Entertainment.
Kevin accused the defendants of defamation after Tasha released an interview with Miesha on her social media platforms. Kevin said Miesha violated her non-disclosure agreement when she spoke about her time employed by him.
Per the NDA, submitted in the lawsuit, Kevin agreed to pay Miesha $30,000 per year for three years and provide her with health insurance during the same timeframe.
The deal said Miesha would not speak about Kevin or things she learned while working for him. In addition, the agreement said Miesha would not exploit the comedian’s name without his consent.
In her newly filed declaration, Miesha claimed, “At the time of signing the NDA, I was suffering from significant mental health issues and was under considerable financial distress due to my unemployment. Hart was fully aware of my ongoing health issues and critical need for health insurance and funds, as I could not afford health insurance or my prescribed medications.”
She added, “At the time I executed the NDA, I was not aware that it included a confidentiality clause as I was told by Hart that it was simply a mutual release and it would benefit me and my family.”
In his lawsuit, Kevin claimed his team received a call before the interview was posted from an unidentified associate of Tasha.
Kevin claimed the alleged associate said the comedian could pay $250,000 to have the interview deleted and not posted on Tasha’s YouTube.
The actor said he refused to comply with the request and called the police. On top of that, he had his legal team fire off a cease and desist to Tasha warning her not to post the interview.
Despite the warning, Tasha posted the interview with Miesha.
Kevin accused Miesha of not only violating her NDA but making false statements about him. He said his ex-assistant claimed he “made a secret video recording of a romantic encounter I had in Las Vegas 2017 and that I faced criminal charges regarding that surreptitious recording.”
“I did not record any such video, and I have never been criminally charged with doing so,” he said.
In court documents, Kevin said, “I understand from speaking with my security personnel, and [Miesha] admitted during the interview, that [Miesha] obtained some of the information she discussed in the interview by covertly listening through the walls, with her ear to the wall, to private interactions occurring behind closed doors at our offices.”
He claimed the interview caused harm to his reputation.
In his filing, Kevin told the court, “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.”
Kevin added, “I also endorse various national brands, and those endorsement deals depend in part on a public perception of my reputation, respectability, and character.”
Miesha and Tasha both denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Tasha K and her company said the topics that were discussed in the chat were matters of “public concern.”
She said the statements made on her show were not made with malice. In her new declaration, Miesha claimed she “had no knowledge or involvement in any such alleged call to a ‘Hart representative’ allegedly demanding $250,000. In fact, I did not contact Plaintiffs following my participation in the Interview.”
Earlier this year, the court denied Kevin’s plea for an injunction against Tasha and her company that would have forced her to remove the interview immediately.
The case is ongoing.
