Internet takes revenge on Kevin Hart

God bless the internet. Without it we would not be able to settle bitter arguments by googling the facts, there would be no memes and we would never have been privy to the spectacularly amusing cheating-cum-extortion scandal involving comedian Kevin Hart that has been unravelling this week.

For those unable to keep abreast of the gossip, the story goes something like this: a few months ago Hart was spotted canoodling in a car with a mystery woman during his pregnant wife's birthday weekend.

Hart laughed off the cheating allegations, even going as far as to say that he had outgrown cheating and that his level of fame made cheating far too risky, because he would be perpetually concerned about his mistress's phone.

That seemed to be the end of it until last week Sunday, when Hart released an Instagram video in which he admitted to making "shitty decisions" and putting himself in a bad situation where only bad things can and did happen.

He went on to explain that he had apologised to his wife and children and that someone was now using his "shitty decision" to extort him.

At this point the internet went into overdrive and it was not long before video clips of an unidentified man who looks and sounds suspiciously like Hart in compromising positions surfaced.

Pictures also surfaced and in them Hart could clearly be seen looking happier than a mime on Ecstasy as he nuzzled a young lady's chest.

As the week unfolded the bombshells dropped and by Wednesday the world had learnt that:

• The would-be extorter had asked for an eight-figure dollar sum to suppress the video.

• A young lady who was mistakenly identified as the extorter was offering to take a lie- detector test to clear her name in exchange for nearly $500,000 (about R7-million).

• Hart's first wife was secretly enjoying all of this.

Most importantly, we learnt that Hart has many talents, but that cheating is not one of them.

WATCH Kevin Hart's mistress, Montia Sabbag, speaks about the controversial encounter

Contrary to his earlier comments, the leaked video shows the lady Hart was cheating with receive a phone call and the comedian merrily greet whomever was on the other end without a care in the world.

Rumours continue to swirl about the identity of Hart's paramour and the nature of their relationship, with some evidence suggesting that the two know each other fairly well.

What we do know for certain is that the internet is having a field day with this news, and with jokes flying from every conceivable direction the story shows no sign of subsiding just yet.

• This article was originally published in The Times.