Kevin Hart Asks Judge to Block Montia Sabbag From Witness List in Lawsuit Against Former Assistant
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart has submitted a legal request asking a judge to bar Montia Sabbag from testifying in his breach-of-contract lawsuit against former assistant Miesha Shakes. Hart contends that Shakes added Sabbag to her witness list to embarrass him rather than to address the core nondisclosure agreement dispute.
Comedian Kevin Hart is attempting to prevent Montia Sabbag, the woman associated with his 2017 sex-tape controversy, from taking the stand in his current lawsuit against former assistant Miesha Shakes, according to court documents cited by Complex and TMZ. Hart has asked a judge to block Sabbag from testifying, maintaining that her proposed presence has no genuine legal connection to the fight over a nondisclosure agreement. The legal battle stems from a December 2023 interview published by blogger Tasha K, in which Shakes made several public claims regarding Hart's personal conduct, including an alleged affair at his office.
Following the broadcast, Hart filed a lawsuit targeting both Tasha K and Shakes, accusing his former employee of violating the nondisclosure contract she signed after leaving his employment in 2020. Hart alleged that the public statements damaged his professional reputation. While Hart has since finalized a settlement with Tasha K, his suit against Shakes remains active. In her defense filings, Shakes contends that the nondisclosure contract should be deemed invalid, alleging that Hart failed to deliver on promised terms, including health insurance coverage.
Hart disputes her allegations, asserting in court documents that he fulfilled his obligations and made payments totaling $102,975 under the terms of their agreement. A central element of Shakes' legal strategy involves questioning the extent of any reputational harm caused by the 2023 interview. Shakes argues that Hart's public image had suffered significant damage from prior public events, pointing specifically to the 2017 Las Vegas hotel recording involving Sabbag. To support her defense, Shakes submitted a witness list naming Sabbag for potential testimony regarding the 2017 recording and subsequent litigation.
Sabbag previously filed a $60 million federal lawsuit against Hart in 2019, alleging that she was secretly recorded without her consent in Las Vegas. Hart denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The federal suit was dismissed in 2020 on jurisdictional grounds, while a separate California state lawsuit was dismissed in 2023 after Sabbag and her legal team missed a court conference. Neither dismissal rendered a judicial ruling on the underlying merits of the claims.
Hart's legal counsel argues that Shakes submitted her witness list without prior consultation with his legal team. According to court filings reported by Complex, Hart is urging the court to restrict witness testimony strictly to himself, Shakes, and Tasha K, unless Shakes can demonstrate a clear legal necessity for additional witnesses. A trial date was previously set for Monday, Oct. 12, though it remains undetermined whether Sabbag will ultimately be permitted to testify.