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Woman connected to Hart scandal denies being extortionist

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kevin Hart poses at Kevin Hart’s “Laugh Out Loud” new streaming video network launch event in Beverly Hills in August. A woman has come forward to say she was involved with Kevin Hart a month ago but is not an extortionist. Montia Sabbag spoke to reporters at her lawyer’s Los Angeles office following Hart’s weekend apology to his pregnant wife and kids via an Instagram video for what he called an error in judgment.

LOS ANGELES >> On the heels of comedian Kevin Hart’s Instagram video about someone seeking financial gain from a mistake he made, a woman came forward today and said she was “involved” with the box office star a month ago but is not an extortionist.

Montia Sabbag said that since images of her became public she has been the subject of lies.

“I am not an extortionist. I’m not a stripper. I’m a recording artist and an actress, and I have not broken any laws. I had nothing to do with these recordings,” Sabbag said, adding that she was sorry for any involvement.

Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said someone secretly placed cameras in Hart’s Las Vegas hotel suite and recorded “bedroom images” of the pair and disseminated them.

“Montia is therefore the victim of multiple felonies under state and federal law,” Bloom said.

The attorney added that Hart appeared to be a victim as well.

Bloom said there was no evidence that law enforcement was looking into the matter and she intended to report it to authorities immediately and demand a full investigation.

“Montia and I are not asking for a cent from Kevin Hart,” the attorney said. “This is not about money. We are not suing him. We are not making any claims against him. Any reports to the contrary are false. Kevin Hart appears to be the victim of this criminal just as Montia is the victim of this criminal.”

Hart publicly apologized to his pregnant wife and his kids on Saturday for what he described as a “bad error in judgment.”

The comedian posted a video to Instagram in which he said he wasn’t perfect and recently made poor decisions.

He said there were “no excuses” but added that someone was trying to seek financial gain over his mistakes, and he’d rather confess than let that happen.

Hart married wife Eniko last year and she is expecting their first child. He has two children from a previous marriage.

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