Woman in Kevin Hart Scandal Says She Is Also a ‘Victim,’ Was Secretly Recorded
Montia Sabbag speaks out in press conference with attorney Lisa Bloom
Reid Nakamura | September 20, 2017 @ 11:10 AM
Last Updated: September 20, 2017 @ 1:28 PM
Montia Sabbag, the woman at the center Kevin Hart’s extortion scandal, spoke out at a press conference with attorney Lisa Bloom on Wednesday, saying she is not behind what Hart has said is an attempt extort money from him.
“I am not an extortionist,” Sabbag said.
In an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, Hart apologized to his wife Eniko Parrish and children for a video in which he and Sabbag were seen engaging in suggestive behavior. He went on to accuse an unnamed person of seeking “financial gain off of my mistakes.”
“I had nothing to do with these recordings,” Sabbag went on to say on Wednesday. “I hired Lisa Bloom to protect my rights. I’m truly sorry for any involvement that I had in this.”
At the press conference, Sabbag said she was recorded without her knowledge. Bloom said her client is a “victim of multiple felonies” and invited Hart to help them “[bring] the perpetrator to justice.”
“It is a crime to secretly put cameras in a private place like a hotel room,” she said. “It is another crime to secretly record people in a private place. It is yet another crime to distribute those images. Montia is the victim of multiple felonies under state and federal laws.”
TMZ reported over the weekend that someone was demanding payment from Hart to prevent the tape’s release.
“Someone tried to set Kevin up in a failed extortion attempt. As law enforcement is involved, we cannot comment further as it could affect the investigation,” his representatives said in a statement following the apology video.
17 Hardest Working Movie Actors of 2016, From Kevin Hart to Anna Kendrick (Photos)
Here is a list of actors and actresses that had a busy 2016, including Margot Robbie, Elle Fanning and Ben Affleck.
Ben Affleck
His busy year kicked off with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but that wasn't all -- He had a small cameo in "Suicide Squad," and starred in "The Accountant" and "Live By Night," which he also directed.
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Margot Robbie
Not only did she entertain as Harley Quinn in "Suicide Squad," but the actress also starred in Tina Fey's "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," "The Legend of Tarzan" and "Terminal."
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Kevin Hart
One of the busiest and most popular guys in Hollywood, Hart starred in "Central Intelligence," "Ride Along 2," voiced a character in "The Secret Life of Pets," and had his comedy special "Kevin Hart: What Now?"
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Haley Bennett
Apart from starring in video game-like film "Hardcore Henry" and playing a role in "The Girl on the Train," Bennett also starred in "The Magnificent Seven" and "Rules Don't Apply."
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Adam Driver
Apart from starring in the holdover "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Driver played a role in "Midnight Special," "Paterson" and "Silence" -- and he was filming the final season of "Girls."
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Felicity Jones
Jones had a good year too -- She was one of the leads in "Inferno" opposite Tom Hanks, as well as "A Monster Calls," "Collide" and the end of year hit "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
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Michael Shannon
Is there a movie Shannon hasn't booked this year? In addition to reprising his role as Zod in "Batman v Superman," he starred in two Jeff Nichols movies, "Midnight Special" and "Loving" -- not to mention indies "Frank & Lola," "Elvis & Nixon" and "Nocturnal Animals."
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Anna Kendrick
Kendrick starred in "Get a Job," "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates," "The Hollars," "The Accountant" and voiced a character in DreamWorks' "Trolls."
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Ben Foster
Foster really shined in "Hell or High Water" opposite Chris Pine, with whom he also starred in "The Finest Hours." But Foster also starred in "Warcraft" and "Inferno."
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Sigourney Weaver
Who could forget Sigourney Weaver's voice in "Finding Dory?" Well, the actress also had other roles this year: "Re(Assignment)," "Ghostbusters" and "A Monster Calls."
Toby Kebbell
Kebbell had roles in "Warcraft," "Ben-Hur," "A Monster Calls" and "Gold" this year.
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Jeremy Irons
Irons had roles in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Race," "The Man Who Knew Infinity," and "Assassin's Creed."
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Elle Fanning
The younger Fanning sister had a busy year as she starred in films like "Neon Demon," "Ballerina," "20th Century Women," "Live By Night" and "American Pastoral."
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Ike Barinholtz
The comedian had a busy year as well, starring in "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" and "Suicide Squad" as well as lending his voice to movies like "Angry Birds" and "Storks."
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Mahershala Ali
Not only was Ali one of the main characters in Netflix's "Luke Cage," but the actor also starred in "The Free State of Jones, "Kicks" and "The Realest Real," as well as Oscar hotshots "Moonlight" and "Hidden Figures."
Photographed by William Callan for TheWrap
Greta Gerwig
Gerwig was also in four movies this year: "Maggie's Plan," "Wiener-Dog," "20th Century Women" and "Jackie" opposite Natalie Portman.
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Ethan Hawke
Hawke had a great role in Antoine Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven," as well as "Maudie," "In the Valley of Violence," "Born to be Blue" and "The Phenom."
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TheWrap Rewind 2016: A look at actors and actresses who starred in four or more movies this year
Here is a list of actors and actresses that had a busy 2016, including Margot Robbie, Elle Fanning and Ben Affleck.