Kevin Hart’s media company, Hartbeat, is embroiled in a heated legal battle with two former employees accused of using confidential company information to launch a competing podcast business.
According to court documents, Hartbeat filed a lawsuit in February against former staffers Eric Eddings and Lesley Gwam. The company claims the pair had access to sensitive internal information tied to Hartbeat’s podcast and audio division, including financial data, partnership strategies, business plans and other proprietary material.
Hartbeat alleges that while still employed at the company, the former employees secretly worked on building a rival podcast venture. The lawsuit claims they even created an investor pitch deck seeking $2 million in funding for the new business, allegedly boasting, “We’ve built this before. Now we’re building it for ourselves.”
The company further claims that one of its largest podcast clients chose not to renew its contract due to Eric’s alleged mismanagement, contributing to financial struggles within the division. Hartbeat says Eric and Lesley were fired on January 30, 2026, shortly after executives learned about the pitch deck.
After their termination, Hartbeat reportedly sent the former employees a cease-and-desist letter demanding they stop using or disclosing company secrets before filing suit and seeking a restraining order to block them from moving forward with the alleged competing venture.
In response, Eric and Lesley are strongly denying the accusations and pushing back against Hartbeat’s request for an injunction. In their own legal filings, the duo argue there is no evidence they stole confidential information and claim the lawsuit is simply an attempt to prevent them from working in the industry.
The former employees insist their investor deck relied only on standard industry knowledge and not on any protected Hartbeat material. Eric also pointed to his previous experience at SiriusXM, noting he worked at a much larger company before joining Hartbeat, while Lesley said she brought years of experience to the role as well.
They claim they only began discussing their own business plans after Hartbeat made major cuts to its podcast division. Although they admit to working on ideas for the company while still employed, they say they never officially launched the business, sought investors or created show concepts until after leaving Hartbeat.
The pair also argue that the lawsuit itself has hurt their ability to secure funding or even discuss their future business plans with potential investors.
The ongoing legal clash between Hartbeat and the former employees was first detailed by Bloomberg, which also reported that the company laid off around a dozen employees in December, including members of its podcast department.#newsafro_
