Kevin Hart Now CEO Of His Company Following Executive Exodus

Kevin Hart is the third CEO at his production company in less than two years.

Kevin Hart is now in charge of his entertainment company after losing two previous CEOs within 15 months.

The famed actor and comedian has recently stepped in as the third CEO of Hartbeat Productions, following the departure of the previous CEO, CFO, and chief content officer, according to Bloomberg.

This executive shakeup comes on the heels of the company laying off more than 20 employees before Thanksgiving.

The departures were amicable but stemmed from a disagreement over the company’s future direction; Jay Levine, who took over the helm at Hartbeat in early 2024 with a mandate to overhaul its deals and stabilize its finances, left less than a year later, along with two other executives.

As the entertainment industry endures a recession, independent production companies can no longer rely solely on producer fees to stay afloat. In 2022, Hart sold a 15% stake in Hartbeat to Abry Partners after raising $100 million at a reported valuation of $650 million. He appointed Thai Randolph—who had been leading his Laugh Out Loud platform—as CEO.

However, that deal came just as Hollywood entered a downturn. By late 2023, Hart parted ways with Randolph and subsequently reduced the headcount in the company’s advertising division. Now, Hart faces a crucial decision: merge with another entity, like LeBron James’ Spring Hill did, scale back operations, or find a new path to growth.

Meanwhile, Hart continues to thrive as a media entrepreneur, managing multiple ventures such as his internet comedy platform Laugh Out Loud, ad partnerships with major brands like Lyft and Procter & Gamble, and producing YouTube content and podcasts for SiriusXM.

”I wasn’t the businessman that I am today,” Hart said in 2022 after The Hollywood Reporter named him its Celebrity Entrepreneur of the Year. “In the beginning, I knew nothing. I was a sponge, and I soaked up a bunch of information from being around people that were doing the things that I wanted to do.”