Kevin Hart’s former friend Jonathan “JT” Jackson is suing the comedian for allegedly fabricating evidence in his famous 2017 extortion case and breaking a subsequent contract.
According to Jackson’s lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, he and Hart signed a “meticulously negotiated” settlement agreement in July 2021 that explained Hart would “issue a powerful public statement proclaiming [Jackson’s] innocence” in the comedian’s sex tape scandal.
Jackson, 47, claims Hart was supposed to say that “the incident” cost him “a very valuable friendship,” that he “lost someone close” to him whom he “loved,” that he’s “proud to say that all [the] charges against JT Jackson have been dropped” and that Jackson “is not guilty and had nothing to do with it.”
In the suit, Jackson said he had a “notable career in the entertainment industry, marked by significant achievements and contributions.”
He added that his reputation “was unjustly tarnished due to a series of malicious actions by the defendants, leading to profound emotional distress, financial losses, and professional setbacks.”
Jackson said he entered into the deal expecting Hart to help rehabilitate his reputation and “help return [Jonathan] to his professional life free from the shadow of the unfounded criminal accusations.” However, he said Hart “blatantly breached the contract by failing to issue the agreed-upon public statement exonerating [Jonathan], causing significant harm and irreparable damage” to his reputation.
He said the statement was to read, “The last three years of my life definitely seen its share of ups and down … I’m proud to say that all charges against JT Jackson have been dropped and he is not guilty and had nothing to do with it and this matter at hand that once was so tough to deal with and so heavy for me and my household is now put to bed.”
Jackson accused the comedian and his team of submitting “fabricated evidence” to the DA’s office. In October 2021, the last remaining criminal charge against Jonathan was dropped.
Jackson’s lawsuit demands in excess of $12 million in damages from Kevin.