78
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kevin Hart arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” in Los Angeles in 2017. A man has been charged with trying to extort money from Kevin Hart by threatening to release video he had secretly shot of the actor and comedian with a woman in Las Vegas.
LOS ANGELES >> A man was charged today with trying to extort money from Kevin Hart by threatening to release video he secretly shot of the actor and comedian with a woman in Las Vegas.
Los Angeles County prosecutors charged 41-year-old Jonathan Jackson with attempted extortion and extortion by threatening letter. Jackson remains in custody on $100,000 bail after his Monday arrest, jail records showed.
Prosecutors allege Jackson tried to extort an undisclosed amount from Hart in August then tried to sell the video to celebrity news websites.
Jackson’s lawyer, Chad Lewin, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment and more details about his client.
Shortly after the charges were announced, Hart tweeted: “Mind blown…Hurt…at a lost for words and simply in complete disbelief at the moment. WOW.”
Attorney Lisa Bloom, who said in September that someone secretly filmed “bedroom images” of her client Montia Sabbag with Hart in a hotel suite, praised the charges.
“Montia and I are delighted that the alleged extortionist is being brought to justice,” Bloom said on Twitter. “As a crime victim in this case, Montia has fully cooperated with the police since the beginning.”
Without giving details, Hart apologized on Instagram when word of the video emerged in September to his wife and kids for what he called a “bad error in judgment.”
Emails to Hart’s publicists seeking further comment were not immediately returned.
The 38-year-old standup comic-turned-movie actor most recently starred in “Jumanji.”
By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines.
Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.