Actor Kevin Hart's personal shopper charged with stealing $1m

Kevin Hart is one of the most successful comedy actors in Hollywood

Kevin Hart's former personal shopper has been charged with stealing more than $1m (£730,000) from the US star.

Dylan Jason Syer, who began working for the Jumanji actor in 2015, is accused of making unauthorised purchases using Hart's credit cards.

He is alleged to have racked up the payments between October 2017 and February 2019.

The 29-year-old has been charged with grand larceny, criminal possession, identity theft and scheme to defraud.

If convicted, Mr Syer, from Long Island City in New York, faces up to 25 years in prison. He is due to return to court on 17 February.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the defendant legitimately gained access to the actor's credit cards, but then allegedly continued to use them to spend "astronomical sums of money".

Mr Syer is said to have bought items including Louis Vuitton bags and Patek Philippe watches. Ms Katz said he often posted pictures of the purchases on Instagram.

Hart starred in Jumanji alongside Dwayne Johnson

Ms Katz said it should act as a "cautionary tale for everyone" to "keep track of your expenses, check your credit reports and diligently keep your financial information to yourself".

Hart earned $39m (£28m) from his acting, comedy and sponsorships in 2020, according to Forbes.

His film credits include Jumanji, Central Intelligence and The Upside, and last year he released a Netflix documentary series about his life and career.

Hart was due to host the Oscars in 2019, but dropped out after homophobic comments he had previously made were unearthed by critics. He has repeatedly apologised to the LGBT community for his "insensitive words of the past".