Comedian Kevin Hart is suing YouTuber Tasha K for extortion, invasion of privacy

American comedian Kevin Hart has taken a case of extortion against Tasha K. Photo / AP

American comedian Kevin Hart is suing YouTuber LaTasha Kebe.

The 44-year-old comic has taken a case of extortion against the influencer, known as Tasha K, after she allegedly threatened to release a bombshell interview with his former assistant unless he paid her a six-figure “ransom”.

According to a lawsuit obtained by Page Six, Kebe sat down with Hart’s former assistant Miesha Shakes in November to record a chat in which the latter made “false and defamatory statements regarding Hart”.

Hart claims that after the interview an alleged associate of Kebe’s called his team and threatened to “publish the interview unless Hart paid a ransom of $250,000″.

At the time, they allegedly warned Hart the stories told during the sit-down, which were linked to his marriage and business dealings, would be “damaging” to his reputation.

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Kebe is then said to have posted a “teaser” for the interview in which she and Shakes allegedly “touted the supposedly salacious and damaging nature” of the interview as a “threat to Hart” for not paying the “ransom” allegedly demanded.

The lawsuit said: “The teaser included a statement from Kebe at the 2:06 mark of the video specifically warning that, ‘When you don’t pay, we have to get money by any means necessary.’”

At that point, Hart’s team allegedly contacted police and sent Kebe a cease and desist letter, noting that Shakes had previously signed a non-disclosure agreement as well as a confidentiality agreement while working for Hart from 2017 until 2020.

But on December 22, Kebe allegedly told Hart she would be posting the full interview, which went live that evening on her subscription-based website.

Hart is now suing both women for extortion and invasion of privacy and suing Shakes for breach of contract and defamation.