A nasty legal war is brewing between Kevin Hart’s media company and two former employees. Hartbeat sued Eric Eddings and Lesley Gwam back in February, accusing them of stealing confidential information to launch a competing podcast business. Now the ex-employees are fighting back, calling the restraining order request utterly lacking in merit.
Eddings started at Hartbeat in 2022. Gwam was hired in April 2023. Both had access to extensive proprietary information, including financial performance data, partnership strategies, and business plans for the company’s audio and podcast division. Hartbeat claims the duo used that confidential information to develop a competing podcast business while still on the payroll. The company alleges they even created an investor pitch deck seeking $2 million for the new venture.
The pitch deck reportedly included a telling line: We have built this before. Now we are building it for ourselves. Hartbeat claims that in late 2025, one of its largest podcasting clients refused to extend its contract due to Eddings’s alleged mismanagement. The company fired both employees on January 30, 2026, the day after learning about the pitch deck. A cease and desist followed. Then the lawsuit.
Eddings and Gwam are not backing down. They say there is zero evidence that they misappropriated any confidential information. Their pitch deck used standard industry information, nothing stolen from Hartbeat. Eddings points out he worked at Sirius XM, a much larger company, before joining Hartbeat. Gwam says she also brought years of experience to the table.
The duo says they only started working on their new company after Hartbeat made severe cuts to its podcast division. They admit they did some work while still employed but insist they never sought investors or began creating show concepts. The company still has not launched, in part because of the lawsuit. They say Hart’s legal action has had a chilling effect on their ability to talk to investors. Meanwhile, Hartbeat claims the situation forced the company to downsize its entire podcast and audio division.
