'It Would Benefit Me and My Family': Kevin Hart's Ex-assistant Tells How He Forced Her to Sign Secrecy Agreement, Claims She Did Under Duress in Exchange for 90K
The comedian revealed the details in a 2017 deposition that came to light in Jackson's new lawsuit.
July 5 2024, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Kevin Hart's ex-assistant revealed she signed a non-disclosure agreement after she ended her employment with the comedian— and claimed she did so under mental duress, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Miesha Shakes, who worked for the comedian from 2017 to 2020, asked the court to not enforce the NDA as part of their ongoing legal battle.
Hart sued Youtuber Tasha K and Yellen Entertainment in 2023.
According to In Touch, Shakes admitted in court documents that she signed the NDA after she stopped working for Hart; however, she claimed she was suffering "mental health issues" at the time.
Last year, Hart sued YouTuber Tasha K and Yellen Entertainment, accusing the pair of defamation following an interview with Shakes. The comedian alleged his former assistant violated her NDA by speaking about her employment with him in the interview, which was shared across Tasha's social media platforms.
Hart deflected questions regarding his association with Diddy.
According to the NDA, which was submitted in the lawsuit, Hart agreed to pay his former assistant $30,000 per year for three years and provide health insurance.
As for Shakes, she was prohibited from speaking about the comedian or things she learned while working for him. The NDA further prohibited Shakes from exploiting Hart without his consent.
Hart's ex-assistant claimed she was suffering 'mental health issues' due to her unemployment when she signed the NDA.
Hart's ex-assistant has now hit back in a new court filing, in which she alleged, "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 claimed. "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."
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Per the NDA, Hart agreed to pay Shakes $30,000 a year for three years and provide health insurance.
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In his lawsuit, Hart claimed his team was informed of Shakes' interview with the YouTuber by an unidentified associate of Tasha, before the interview was released.
Hart claimed the associate said he could pay $250,000 to prevent the interview from being released and deleted. The comedian refused to comply and called the police, as well as contacting his legal team to have a cease and desist sent to Tasha.
Despite the legal warning, Tasha went forward with posting the interview with Shakes.
