Kevin Hart has asked a judge to prevent Montia Sabbag, who was involved in the comedian’s 2017 hotel room recording controversy, from testifying in his ongoing legal dispute with former assistant Miesha Shakes, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The request follows Shakes’ submission of a witness list that included Sabbag, who previously pursued legal action against Hart over the incident. Hart is now suing Shakes over comments she made during an interview with blogger Tasha K, in which she discussed aspects of his personal life.
Hart alleges that Shakes violated a non-disclosure agreement she signed after leaving his company. Shakes, who worked for the comedian from 2017 to 2020, disputes the agreement’s enforceability. She argues that Hart failed to meet other obligations under their arrangement, giving her grounds to challenge the contract.
In his latest court filing, Hart also objects to the way Shakes submitted her proposed witness list. He claims her legal team failed to consult his lawyers beforehand and argues that the process was improper.
Hart further contends that including Sabbag as a potential witness is an attempt to embarrass him and attract publicity rather than present evidence relevant to the case. He has asked the court to exclude Sabbag and other proposed witnesses unless Shakes can demonstrate that their testimony directly relates to the issues before the court.
The comedian maintains that the relevant witnesses should be limited to himself, Shakes and Tasha K, whose interview is at the centre of the dispute. Hart alleges that Shakes’ comments harmed his reputation and is seeking unspecified damages.
The court will need to determine which proposed witnesses, if any, can provide relevant evidence as the dispute proceeds. Hart’s request to exclude Sabbag is an argument made in his legal filing, not a final ruling by the court.
