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Kevin Hart
Business Empire No Laughing Matter …
Chaos Behind the Scenes
Published
Kevin Hart‘s business world might be running low on punchlines … because behind the scenes, insiders say there have been layoffs, lawsuits, and chaos instead of comedy.
A new Bloomberg report claims the comedian’s once-booming media empire, Hartbeat, has seriously downsized in recent years — with exec shakeups, stalled projects, canceled staff meetings, and multiple rounds of cuts gutting the company from the inside.
The drama reportedly escalated after Kevin quietly struck a deal in January with Authentic Brands Group — the company behind celebrity brands tied to stars like Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham. While the announcement sounded like a power move, the report says the deal also gave Hart money to buy out his private equity partner and move his endorsement business into the hands of Authentic.
Employees allegedly feared that was the beginning of the end … especially as Hart reportedly became more removed from day-to-day operations, leaving a small group of executives to steer the ship while he focused on filming movies and other projects.
The company — once valued at roughly $650M — reportedly struggled as Hollywood spending cooled off and projects not directly involving Hart became harder to sell. Insiders say several planned podcasts and productions never got off the ground — and layoffs continued piling up through late 2024 and into this year.
The report also describes growing internal tension involving senior exec Jeff Clanagan, who allegedly pushed employees to support outside ventures tied to his own businesses and A.I.-driven projects.
Meanwhile, the company’s podcast division reportedly spiraled into legal warfare … after two executives were fired and later sued for alleged breach of contract and trade-secret theft. A judge later rejected part of the company’s request for an injunction — reportedly calling the claims too “vague” and “overly broad.”
We’ve reached out to Hart’s camp for comment … so far, no word back.
