Kevin Hart‘s media empire is dealing with even more behind-the-scenes drama — this time involving a heated legal war over alleged company secrets and a competing podcast business. It’s the kind of messy corporate moment that reminds us how quickly business partnerships can turn complicated when money and ambition collide.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Kevin Hart‘s company Hartbeat sued two former employees, Eric Eddings and Lesley Gwam, accusing them of using confidential company information to secretly build a rival podcast venture while still on the clock. This kind of corporate espionage allegation is serious business in the media world.
Hartbeat claims Eric, who joined the company in 2022, and Lesley, who was hired in 2023, had access to sensitive business information involving the company’s podcast and audio division — including financial data, partnership strategies, future business plans, and proprietary details that gave them serious insider knowledge.
The lawsuit alleges the former employees created an investor pitch deck while still drawing paychecks from Hartbeat and attempted to raise $2 million for their own competing company. That’s a bold move, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that gets companies’ legal teams activated.
One line from the pitch deck especially raised eyebrows:
“We’ve built this before. Now we’re building it for ourselves.”
Hartbeat claims the alleged actions caused serious damage to the company, including the loss of a major podcast client and declining revenue in the audio division. According to the suit, the fallout allegedly became so severe that Hartbeat was forced to downsize parts of the department, affecting multiple employees across the podcast team.
Eric and Lesley were reportedly fired on January 30, 2026 — just one day after Hartbeat says it discovered the investor deck. Shortly afterward, the company sent the pair a cease-and-desist letter before officially filing suit seeking an injunction to stop them from allegedly using or sharing company secrets.
But the former employees are fighting back hard.
In their own legal filings, Eric and Lesley deny stealing confidential information and accuse Hartbeat of trying to unfairly block them from launching their own business. They’re taking a stand on principle here, and their defense is pretty straightforward.
They claim the investor deck only used standard industry knowledge and argue both of them had years of experience in media long before joining Kevin Hart’s company. Eric previously worked at SiriusXM, while Lesley says she also brought significant industry expertise to the table. These aren’t rookies entering uncharted territory.
The duo also claims they only started discussing a future business after Hartbeat began making major cuts to the podcast division. While they admit they brainstormed ideas while employed, they insist they never officially launched the company or secured investors. There’s a real difference between dreaming and doing.
According to them, the lawsuit itself has made it harder to move forward professionally because potential investors now see the ongoing legal battle as a red flag. It’s the kind of catch-22 that can derail careers before they even get started.
The legal feud comes amid reports that Hartbeat recently downsized staff, including multiple employees within its podcast department. That context matters when understanding why tensions escalated so quickly.
So far, Kevin Hart has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. We’ll be watching to see how this one plays out in the courts.
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