Kevin Hart’s Ex-Friend J.T. Jackson Sues for $12M Over 2017 Sex Tape Scandal

Kevin Hart is the focus of a new lawsuit filed by his former friend Jonathan “J.T.” Jackson. Jackson claims Hart broke an agreement made during the aftermath of Hart’s alleged 2017 sex tape scandal.

Jackson is seeking $12 million in the breach of contract lawsuit he filed in Los Angeles. He claims that a social media post Hart shared on October 27, 2021, did not follow a “meticulously negotiated” plan to clear Jackson’s name in the scandal and felony extortion case that arose from the 2017 sex tape incident, Rolling Stone reported.

According to Jackson, Hart was “contractually obligated to use specific verbiage that would publicly exonerate” him. The video was supposed to state that Jackson, who appeared in “Think Like a Man Too” with Hart, was “fully cleared of any involvement in an extortion plot and that the scandal had cost Hart a valuable friendship.”

The lawsuit details that Hart agreed 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.”

Instead, Jackson alleges that Hart “blatantly broke” this agreement. In a 2017 Instagram video, Hart stated, “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 mentioned their lost friendship but did not adhere to the agreed-upon wording, particularly the part where Jackson was supposed to be declared as having “had nothing to do with it.”

Jackson claims the exact wording in Hart’s statement was crucial for repairing the severe damage to his reputation caused by the extortion allegations, which Hart had aggressively publicized.

While Hart seemed to move on from the incident, Jackson says he suffered emotional distress in the years following. According to the suit, Jackson claims that Hart and his lawyers were significant players in his 2018 arrest, where law enforcement officers raided his home.

The situation allegedly began with a trip to Las Vegas in August 2017. Shortly after, Hart’s wife, Eniko Parrish, who was pregnant at the time, received an anonymous message accusing Hart of cheating. The message reportedly included a Dropbox link to the sex tape, allegedly recorded in Hart’s suite at the Cosmopolitan hotel. The video allegedly showed Hart with model Montia Sabbag.

Jackson asserts that the scandal and subsequent events caused him “profound harm” and emotional distress, especially considering the failed extortion charges against him. He also references Hart’s Netflix docuseries “Don’t F**k This Up” as a lingering reminder of the ordeal. In the series, Hart discussed the controversial incident, noting it was “tough to talk about.”

Jackson states that the continued availability of this content perpetuates a false narrative, causing ongoing harm to his professional and personal life.

A Navy veteran, Jackson claims the fallout has exacerbated his service-related PTSD and led to significant mental health issues.

“This entire ordeal has caused profound emotional distress and significant professional setbacks for both my wife and me,” Jackson said in a statement to 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. 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.”

Jackson is suing Hart and Hartbeat Productions for breach of contract, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In addition to the $12 million in damages, he is also seeking punitive damages, to be determined at trial.

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Source: Rolling Stone