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Comedian Kevin Hart faces fresh legal troubles as former friend Jonathan "J.T." Jackson filed an amended $12 million lawsuit on August 6, 2024. The suit accuses Hart of fabricating evidence in the aftermath of his 2017 sex tape scandal and submitting it to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Jackson, a Navy veteran and actor, claims Hart and prosecutors used unverified evidence to pursue false extortion charges against him. The scandal erupted when Hart was filmed having extramarital sex in Las Vegas while his wife Eniko was pregnant.
In a deposition, Hart admitted to using the drug Molly that weekend, stating, "F--k it, I said, and I put it in my drink." He detailed meeting Montia Sabbag and another woman named Morgan, eventually having sex with Sabbag the following morning.
The lawsuit cites a transcript of Hart's 2017 interview with D.A. investigator Robin Letourneau, where Hart suggested Sabbag knew about the hidden camera. "I am a calculated guy... There's no way that I can [be] videotaped sleeping in bed with somebody else in the room with me not having knowledge," Hart said.
Jackson's complaint alleges that an April 2018 email, purportedly from Juan Carlos Yépez demanding 20 bitcoins to prevent the tape's release, was potentially fabricated. The suit argues this email lacked proper digital markers and wasn't adequately verified by investigators.
The case took a dramatic turn when Jackson's home was raided in January 2018, with he and his wife held at gunpoint. Jackson was arrested months later, but charges were eventually dropped in 2021.
Hart's 2019 Netflix docuseries "Don't F— This Up" further complicated matters, as it mentioned extortion and implicated Jackson in the tape's creation and distribution. A separate $60 million lawsuit by Sabbag against Hart was dismissed in 2020.
The amended complaint now includes allegations of fraud, malicious prosecution, and defamation. Jackson seeks $12 million in damages, legal costs, and injunctions to clear his name.
Representatives for Hart and the district attorney's office have not commented on the pending litigation. The entertainment industry watches closely as this legal battle unfolds, potentially impacting how similar scandals are handled in the future.
