According to Jackson, Hart was “contractually obligated to use specific verbiage that would publicly exonerate” him. The video was to include that Jackson, who had a small role in Think Like a Man Too, starring Hart, Gabrielle Union, Terrence J., Regina Hall, and more, was “fully cleared of any involvement in an extortion plot and that the scandal had cost Hart a valuable friendship.”
In the lawsuit, it reports that Hart agreed to say, “I lost someone close to me that I loved and still have very much love for, or high levels of love for, and I’m proud to say that all charges against J.T. Jackson have been dropped, and he is not guilty and had nothing to do with it.”
Additionally, he shared that their friendship was “lost,” but his words were nowhere near the alleged agreement that Jackson says Hart broke.
“It’s over, and I’m happy that it’s over,” said Hart. He also omitted the line that Jackson and Hart reportedly agreed to include and that was that Jackson “had nothing to do with it.”
“The wording of Hart’s statement, meticulously negotiated and detailed in the contract, was crucial to repairing and remediating the severe damage inflicted upon the plaintiff’s reputation by the baseless extortion allegations that Hart aggressively promoted and publicized,” said Jackson in the newly filed lawsuit.
“The persistent availability of this content continues to perpetuate the false narrative, causing ongoing harm to plaintiff’s professional and personal life,” said the court filings.
As a Navy veteran, Jackson claims that “the fallout has exacerbated his service-related PTSD and caused significant mental health struggles.”
“This entire ordeal has caused profound emotional distress and significant professional setbacks for both my wife and me. It’s extremely unfortunate that someone I considered my brother, my pots and pans for 16 years, we are now on opposite sides of the fence,” said Jackson in a statement sent to Rolling Stone. “Despite everything, I still wish him well. But it’s been three years since Kevin promised to help clear my name, to no avail. So here we are. Through this lawsuit, I aim to restore my reputation, seek accountability, and ensure that such injustices do not happen to others.”
At this time, Jackson is suing both Hart and his Hartbeat Productions company for “breach of written contract, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.” In addition to the $12 million in real damages he’s seeking, Jackson is also looking to receive “punitive damages to be determined at trial.”
RELATED CONTENT: Former Yeezy Employees File Lawsuit Against Ye And Milo Yiannopoulos Alleging Racism
Source: Black Enterprise
