Kevin Hart Loses Bid to Get ‘Defamatory’ Tasha K Video Removed
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Kevin Hart can’t force celebrity gossip blogger Latasha “TashaK” Kebe to remove her allegedly “defamatory” interview with his ex-assistant from her website – at least not yet – a judge ruled Thursday.
During a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff said Hart’s emergency request for a temporary restraining order failed to include a transcript of Kebe’s interview with the former assistant, Miesha Shakes. The judge said he was left wondering if he was expected to pay the $12 necessary to view the lengthy interview on Kebe’s website. “Part of the problem I have is that there are no direct quotes of what occurred in the hour-and-a-half interview,” Beckloff complained to Hart’s lawyers, referring to their Jan. 19 petition for the restraining order. He said the request was “just a really vague, overbroad request that doesn’t address actual malice.”
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Hart’s lawyer, Donte Mills, responded that his side “obviously” has the transcript, but he said they were reticent to file “something we think shouldn’t be public, because that defeats the point of this entire TRO.” He said Hart’s position is that the statements in the video are “absolutely” false and have caused him harm.
“There’s no questioning them. There are things said by the speakers that are illegal. It’s defamatory, it’s extortion, and it absolutely shows malice on their part,” Mills argued. “Not once was there ever any claim stating that my client committed a crime until this video. I think that’s important. Adultery is one thing, but adultery is not illegal.”
Judge Beckloff wasn’t persuaded. He denied the TRO request and said Hart’s camp could file a motion attempting to submit the transcript under seal or a separate motion for a preliminary injunction in front of the judge already hearing Hart’s extortion, breach of contract, invasion of privacy and defamation lawsuit filed against Shakes and Kebe in December.
That lawsuit centers on the interview with Shakes that published on Kebe’s website Dec. 22 with the title, “Exclusive – Kevin Harts [sic] Personal Assistant Tells All! – Alleged Gambling Addict, Habitual Cheater, Paying Millions to a Man to Take DUI Charges for Him, & Framing Best Friend of 30 years in FAKE EXTORTION PLOT!”
Hart alleges he’s the victim of a shakedown. He cites in his complaint the “teaser” video for the interview that was posted on YouTube Nov. 17 with Kebe standing near Shakes stating, “When you don’t pay, we have to get money by any means necessary.” On Thursday, Shakes appeared in person at the hearing and told Judge Beckloff that Mills and another man were “harassing and bullying” her over the interview, causing her to fear for her safety and that of her young daughter. The next hearing in the legal battle is set for Feb. 29.
Kebe, meanwhile, is no stranger to defamation allegations. A judge previously ordered her to take down more than a dozen videos and several social media posts that made “false and defamatory” statements about Cardi B. That followed after Cardi B won a $4 million defamation verdict against her.
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