On July 22, 2021, Kevin Hart publicized Nick Cannon's real cellphone number to the public as a prank.
On July 22, 2021, Snopes became aware of reports alleging comedian Kevin Hart had trolled entertainer Nick Cannon about his fertility - Cannon has had four kids with three women in less than a year - by publicizing his real phone number for anyone 'seeking advice on fatherhood.' The underlying claim was true. Using his official social media accounts, Hart posted a photo of Cannon's actual phone number supposedly displayed on a digital billboard near a hotel, with the caption: Since my brother @nickcannon decided to buy me a lama for my B Day I decided to do something nice for him as well....Here is a digital billboard in Los Angeles....I also did some in ATL & NY....if u want any advice on fatherhood please call my BEST FRIEND @nickcannon ....I'm sure his phone has been ringing nonstop. In other words, Hart said he bought advertisement space on at least three billboards in L.A., Atlanta, and New York City to prank Cannon after Cannon sent Hart a llama for his 42nd birthday weeks earlier. Cannon, the host of Fox's 'The Masked Singer' and 'Wild 'N Out,' confirmed that the phone number displayed was indeed his, writing in an Instagram story post: 'My phone won't stop ringing!!! @kecinhart4real is a AssHole!!!' Later story posts showed Cannon FaceTime-ing fans who had called the number, some of them seeming shocked that they had actually reached the celebrity, and him explaining how his phone was 'blowing up' and 'about to die' of battery power. When Snopes called the line the morning of July 23, roughly one day after it was initially posted by Hart, an automatic voice message by Verizon said the caller could not be reached and to try again later. We tried again about one hour later and got an automatic voicemail greeting from Cannon in which he said anyone could help him with his next prank by sending him at least $5 via Cash App and their SnapChat, Instagram, or Facebook information. Considering that evidence, we rate this claim 'True.' It was accurate to claim Hart had pranked Cannon by publicizing his real phone number to the public. However, we're unable to confirm that Hart had indeed rented space on a digital billboard somewhere on streets in L.A., New York City, or Atlanta for the prank. We did not see it ourselves, and Hart's photo of the alleged sign appeared to be the only photograph online supposedly showing the message from the street. Let us note here: While Hart framed the advertisement as authentic, it was possible that he had actually digitally edited an existing image of a billboard to show Cannon's phone number and then shared that manipulated photo on social media, prompting the flood of calls to Cannon from fans. If you, or someone you know, sees the alleged sign in real life, email our tip inbox. [See also from Snopes: Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg Will Recap the Olympics]
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