Kevin Hart Employees Describe Chaos, Layoffs Within Business Empire

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Kevin Hart is arguably the most successful comedian on the planet.

But while he’s undeniably a talented funnyman, many who have worked for Hart say his skills as a businessman are less impressive.

Behind the scenes at his media company Hartbeat, layoffs and leadership shakeups have reportedly become the norm.

And several current and former employees claim that the comedian has dealt with the stress by going out of reach.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Hartbeat, once positioned as a rising multimedia player with ambitions across film, television, and digital content, has been struggling under financial pressure.

The company, which was previously valued at around $650 million, has faced mounting challenges as the broader media landscape tightened and costs climbed.

Those challenges came to a head with a series of layoffs. In one round alone, roughly 20 employees were let go from a workforce of about 80, according to the report.

More cuts followed, including roles tied to podcasting and scripted television development — areas that had been central to Hartbeat’s expansion strategy.

Among the casualties were teams connected to projects like a Barbershop television adaptation for Amazon and a second season of the animated series Lil Kev.

For staff inside the company, the cuts reportedly marked a sharp reversal from earlier expectations of growth and stability.

Hart himself had only recently stepped back into a formal leadership role. After a stretch of frequent executive turnover, he resumed serving as CEO in January 2025, promising to steady the company and chart a clearer path forward.

But instead of tightening his hands-on control, the report says, he largely delegated day-to-day operations to longtime lieutenant Jeff Clanagan and CFO Eric Stoneburner.

As restructuring continued, employees reportedly noticed another shift: Hart becoming increasingly distant.

According to Bloomberg, he largely stepped away from day-to-day involvement, and in one striking detail, even changed his phone number, making him difficult for some staff and executives to reach.

Meetings were canceled or deprioritized, internal development slowed, and projects that had once been pitched with enthusiasm reportedly stalled out altogether. What had been framed as a growing media hub instead began to resemble a company in retreat, with uncertainty spreading across departments.

Adding to the speculation, Hart’s deal with Authentic Brands Group earlier in the year was viewed by some employees as a signal of shifting priorities. That partnership, which involved licensing his name and brand, fueled internal concern that Hartbeat itself may no longer have been the center of his focus.

But despite the turbulence, Hartbeat has continued operating under leadership restructuring and ongoing cost-cutting, even as questions linger about its long-term direction and Hart’s level of day-to-day involvement.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.