Former employees of Kevin Hart are now speaking out about Hartbeat, the comedian’s production company after the company filed a February lawsuit against former employees Eric Eddings and Lesley Gwam, alleging breach of contract, unfair business practices and misappropriation of trade secrets.
Eddings and Gwam have denied that they misused confidential information as they move forward with their own podcast venture. A former Hartbeat employee who is not part of the lawsuit told the Daily Mail that the legal action seemed personal.
“I think that Lesley and Eric are almost certainly in the right,” the former employee said. “They’re both very smart. They are straight shooters, and I think that they saw the writing on the wall in terms of the direction the company’s going.”
The former employee added that some staff members were shocked by the layoffs at Hartbeat, while others believed the company needed to shrink following changes in the entertainment industry.
“Content pullback is real,” the former employee said.
Hart’s former executive assistant, Miesha Shakes, also weighed in, saying she was not shocked to see former staffers beefing with the company.
“It’s just unfortunate that a business relationship has to get ruined over somebody being greedy,” Shakes said. “How much money do you have to have until you say it’s enough?”
Hart spoke about the company’s recent downsizing during an interview with The Breakfast Club on May 26. “Hartbeat is never going anywhere,” he said, adding that he would not do a movie without Hartbeat producing it.
The actor is also dealing with backlash over The Roast of Kevin Hart, the Netflix special produced by Hartbeat. After comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was criticized for a joke about George Floyd, Hart said the moment happened during a live show.
“It’s a live production,” Hart said. “I’m not compromising the live production for a reaction of what? What do you want me to do? I’m going to drag him off?”
Shakes was not satisfied with the response.
“We want him to stand up for the Black culture, and we can’t even get an apology out of him,” she said.