Kevin Hart has become a “man of few words” since his close friendship with Sean “Diddy” Combs came under scrutiny in the wake of the investigation into the disgraced music mogul’s alleged sex trafficking.
Combs, 54, is currently awaiting trial at New York City’s Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution after he was arrested last month.
Hart, 45, who has been friends with Combs for years, is now desperately trying to distance himself from growing speculation about his history with the Founder of Bad Boy Records.
The situation is also proving difficult for employees of HartBeat – the global, multi-platform media company he founded in 2009 – with staff aware of the surfaced video of Hart partying at one of Combs’ infamous bashes .
“This is like a pink elephant in his company,” an insider told DailyMail.com. ‘Everyone is doing their best to act as if nothing is wrong.’
Kevin Hart has become a ‘man of few words’ as his close friendship with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has come under scrutiny during the sex trafficker’s trial (pictured in 2010)
Hart, 45, has been good friends with Combs, 54 – with the pair partying together over the years (pictured in 2018)
“Kevin is tense and doesn’t say anything, so it was extremely tense.
“Kevin, like his friends and associates, knows he was close to Diddy and there is video footage of Kevin placing him at the scene of one of his parties.”
Among the troves of now questionable footage currently circulating online is a clip purporting to show Hart and Combs at a party together at the height of the music manager’s hedonistic heyday in 2010.
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At one point you see Hart burst into laughter after a woman’s hair catches fire while she is in the bath.
The source explained that Hart is unable to laugh his way out of this situation and continued, “Kevin is used to making the jokes and now he’s the brunt of the joke.
“His social media is flooded with comments about Diddy and their friendship.”
The timing isn’t exactly fortunate, as the star is currently on his Acting My Age comedy tour.
Videos of the comedian and Diddy partying together in 2010 (pictured) recently surfaced and went viral on social media
A source told DailyMail.com: ‘Kevin is tense and doesn’t say anything so it was extremely tense’ (pictured at the 2020 Roc Nation Brunch)
“It’s said that he’s not sure how this tour will go because he knows people want to hear him talk about it and he doesn’t.
“It’s hard to watch Kevin navigate this because he’s normally a man of many words and now he’s a man of few words.”
The Borderlands star was questioned about his ties to Combs last week while heading to dinner with his wife Eniko Hart, 40, at LAVO restaurant in West Hollywood.
When he entered the location, he visited DailyMail.com when he remembers seeing one of the now infamous bottles of baby oil found at Combs’ home when he was “hosting parties.”
The actor quickly denied his involvement in the sordid parties, firing back: “When I hosted Diddy? You’re asking the wrong person the wrong question.’
When he asked if Combs would be safe in jail, Hart again tried to deflect, repeating, “Wrong person, wrong question.”
A federal indictment alleges that Combs has abused, threatened and coerced victims since 2008 to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his behavior.
Prosecutors also revealed that evidence was collected about his long-rumored, drug-fueled sex parties – which he called “freak offs” – during their raids on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami earlier this year. “Electronic devices were found containing images and videos of the freak-offs, with multiple victims.”
Unmarked AR-15s, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and other lubricants were also recovered in the raid.
The situation is also proving difficult for HartBeat employees, as the staff is aware of the surfaced video of Hart partying at one of Combs’ infamous bashes (pictured in 2018).
The insider noted, “Word is he’s not sure how this tour will go because he knows people want to hear him talk about it and he doesn’t.”
If convicted, Combs could face life in prison after being charged through his business empire with an apparent “criminal enterprise”: engaging in sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, drug offenses, transportation to engage in prostitution, kidnapping and physical abuse against women, among other crimes.
Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura reportedly tried to flee one of these events in 2016 when security cameras at a Los Angeles hotel captured Combs viciously attacking her in a hallway.
She filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, which he settled within a day, providing the catalyst for more people to come forward with claims of abuse.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was denied bail, despite his legal team’s request that he be released on $50 million and placed on electronic monitoring.