Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart Facing $12 Million Lawsuit for Allegedly Breaching Contract in 2017 Sex Tape Extortion Case

Author: Editors Desk Source: Complex

July 11, 2024 at 17:03

Elyse Jankowski / Stringer via Getty Images

Kevin Hart's former friend and collaborator, Jonathan "JT" Jackson, has filed a $12 million lawsuit against the actor for allegedly breaching a contract they had regarding the outcome of the 2017 sex tape extortion case.

As reported by Page Six, Jackson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 10, in which he accused Hart of failing to uphold his end of a settlement agreement in July 2021. According to the legal documents, they agreed that Hart would say "the incident" lost him "a very valuable friendship." He also allegedly agreed to say that he's "proud to say that all charges against JT Jackson have been dropped" and that he is "not guilty and had nothing to do with it."

In a statement released in October 2021, Hart said that Jackson had "been found not guilty" because "those charges have been dropped against him." Instead of stressing that he lost "a very valuable friendship" with someone he "loved," he said the incident "put a fork in the road between he and I, and our relationship was lost." In the lawsuit, Jackson has accused Hart of not clearing his name "unequivocally," which has caused him to sustain "enormous difficulties in obtaining acting roles."

"Hart’s failure to uphold the contractual obligations has negatively affected [Jackson’s] professional life and financial security," reads the complaint. Jackson was initially hit with extortion charges in the case after he was accused of threatening to release a tape of Hart engaging in sexual activities with a woman who wasn't his wife. Evidence suggested that he was in direct contact with Hart's team about potentially selling the footage, which was recorded in Las Vegas in August 2017.

The extortion charges against Jackson were dropped in 2021, but he has alleged that Hart fabricated evidence that led to the extortion charges against him. The piece of evidence in particular is an email, which was used as the basis for his arrest in 2018. However, he has claimed forensic experts have asserted the email was "fabricated" at a date later than prosecutors alleged.

Monita Sabbag came forward and identified herself as the woman featured in the sex tape. Hart issued an apology for cheating on his wife, who was pregnant with their first child together at the time. They reconciled and welcomed a second child in 2020.

"This entire ordeal has caused profound emotional distress and significant professional setbacks for both my wife and me. It’s extremely unfortunate that someone I considered my brother, my pots and pans for 16 years, we are now on opposite sides of the fence," Jackson told Rolling Stone. "Despite everything, I still wish him well. But it’s been three years since Kevin promised to help clear my name, to no avail. So here we are. Through this lawsuit, I aim to restore my reputation, seek accountability, and ensure that such injustices do not happen to others."