Fact Check: Kevin Hart’s Restaurants and Diddy’s Arrest

Recently, a rumor has been circulating on social media about actor Kevin Hart closing all his restaurants following the arrest of Diddy. On Saturday, September 21, 2024, an X user, @Robert_Cr59, shared a post featuring a photo of Kevin Hart. The caption stated:

“Kevin Hart closed all his restaurants after finding out about Diddy’s arrest. Do you think he’s involved?”

As of now, the post has amassed 11.2M views, 6.6K shares, 51K reactions, and 4.3K comments.

However, this rumor is false. Kevin Hart did close all his restaurants, but this decision was made on September 10, well before Diddy’s arrest on September 16.

Notably, the speculation arose after Kevin Hart’s fast-food chain, Hart House, closed all of its locations just two years after its inception, without disclosing the reasons for this closure. Social media users subsequently conjectured that the closure might be linked to Diddy’s recent legal troubles.

Kevin Hart’s Restaurant Closures Took Place Before Diddy’s Arrest

Kevin Hart is currently making the news (Image via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

On September 21, an X user posted a claim that Kevin Hart closed all his restaurants due to Diddy’s arrest. The user even speculated on whether Hart was involved in Diddy’s recent controversies.

However, the platform has fact-checked this post, labeling it as “factually incorrect.” It directed viewers to two websites confirming this information, including MSN, which noted that Hart closed his restaurants six days prior to Diddy’s arrest on September 16.

Before launching his plant-based restaurant concept, Hart told The Hollywood Reporter in August 2022 that he established Hart House to provide more plant-based options in the fast-food sector, which he believed was lacking.

The menu featured various items, including plant-based burgers, salads, tater tots, milkshakes, and “chicken”sandwiches and nuggets.

This restaurant initiative followed Hart’s revelation to The Hollywood Reporter in 2020 that he adopted a plant-based diet. He expressed:

“If I can give people a place to have the option that’s placed smack dab in the middle of where your McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King [are], people may see a Hart House and say, ‘I’m going to go plant-based today.’

Nonetheless, the restaurant is closing for reasons that have not been disclosed. On September 11, Hart’s team announced the closure via Instagram, stating:

“To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved. A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter.”

Following this announcement, CEO Andy Hooper commented to Eater LA:

“The response to the product has been incredible, and we thank our committed team, our customers, and our community partners for helping make the change we all craved, and for their unwavering support of Hart House,”

When Hart House first opened, it received significant praise and support. TikTok culinary critic Keith Lee visited the establishment in 2023 and shared positive reviews, noting the reasonable prices, with combos and sandwiches set under $15. He described the sandwich he tried as “amazing.”

The closure of all Hart House locations has led some analysts to describe the venture as “ambitious.”The Food Institute pointed out that Hart House faced challenges in a saturated market along with California’s minimum wage increase from $15.50 to $20. Bassem Mostafa, owner of Globemonitor Market Research Agency, remarked to The Food Institute on September 17:

“Consumers may have viewed Hart House as more of a novelty than a serious player in the fast-food industry.”

In conclusion, it is clear that Kevin Hart did not close his restaurants following Diddy’s arrest. The question of whether he is involved with Diddy remains unverified, and Hart has not yet responded to these claims.

Source