Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty
K evin Hart will soon be back in court. His ex-friend, Jonathan “J.T.” Jackson is suing him, claiming that Hart breached a settlement agreement connected to the leaked video of Hart’s infidelity with a woman named Montia Sabbag in 2017.
In 2018, Hart accused Jackson of filming and releasing footage of him and Sabbag having sex and in 2019, his Netflix docuseries Don’t F*ck This Up claimed that Jackson was the person who released the tape. But the four charges against him, including attempted extortion, were later dropped and Jackson and Hart came to an agreement that Hart would release a statement clearing his name.
On Oct. 27, 2021, Hart appeared in a video on his social media platforms saying that Jackson was innocent and that he was happy to move on from the incident.
“J.T. Jackson has recently been found not guilty, and those charges have been dropped against him, and I can finally speak on what I once couldn’t,” Hart said in the post. He acknowledged their friendship was a casualty of the situation and said he was happy it was “over.”
However, Hart’s statement was missing the specific elements agreed upon in court several months before.
In his lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week, Jackson says that not only did Hart provide false evidence to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office to try to help convict him, but he reneged on his agreement to ensure the public knew he wasn’t involved.
The men agreed to the following statement, which Jackson says Hart did not adhere to in his video.
Hart was supposed to say, “I lost someone close to me that I loved and still have very much love for, or high levels of love for, and I’m proud to say that all charges against J.T. Jackson have been dropped, and he is not guilty and had nothing to do with it.”
Jackson argues that by Hart not reading the statement as agreed, it “dilutes this intent by framing the exoneration more as a conclusion to a chapter in Hart’s own life rather than a clear and unequivocal exoneration of plaintiff.”
Jackson is suing Hart and his company, Hartbeat, for $12 million for fraud and breach of contract.
This all stems from revelations that Hart cheated on his pregnant wife Eniko with Sabbag in 2017. A leaked sex tape of Hart with Sabbag became one of the biggest scandals of Hart’s career, forcing him to apologize publicly.
This was after an extortion attempt that led to the video’s release, with data from an email extorting Hart and the sex tape itself linked back to Jackson. Then, Jackson sued Hart and Sabbag sued both Jackson and Hart, alleging that the publicity around the case hurt their reputations and/or careers.
Jackson continues to maintain his innocence. He says that the docuseries and the allegations have impacted his mental health and his career.
“This entire ordeal has caused profound emotional distress and significant professional setbacks for both my wife and me,” he told Rolling Stone. “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.
He added, “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.”
His lawyer Daniel Reback told The Washington Post, “The facts in the complaint speak for themselves. We are confident that the lawsuit will end with Mr. Jackson’s complete victory and vindication.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0