Modeling icon and business entrepreneur, Tyra Banks, faces a $2.8 million lawsuit connected to her Smize & Dream ice cream shop venture from a Washington, D.C. landlord. The landlord, Christopher Powell, alleges that Banks and her business partner, Louis Martin, reneged on a 10-year lease agreement in the city's Eastern Market neighborhood, as reported by NBC Washington. The legal action claims that the team abandoned the project after agreements were in place, redirecting their efforts to a location in Sydney, Australia, leaving Powell to contend with what he considers a breach of contract.
While the lease was signed for the Eastern Market location in April 2024, Powell points to June 2024 as the moment Banks and Martin vacated the premises, yet they had launched a Smize & Dream pop-up shop nearby, which was attended by Kamala Harris, still during the active lease period. Powell notes that significant investments had been made on his part, including months of planning and turning down other tenants during this process. According to a statement obtained by WBLS, he claims this resulted in "deep financial loss" and necessitated the lawsuit to recover damages.
The legal filings by Banks and Martin's team describe the lawsuit as meritless, suggesting that it is an attempt by Powell to extort money from them. The defense further argues that the plaintiff's claims are centered on School of SMiZE LLC, not Banks and Martin individually. Additionally, they raised issues with the property, citing "myriad mechanical, electrical, and plumbing deficiencies" that were not in "good working order," as reported by The Cut. These deficiencies, they claim, would require approximately $980,000 in repairs, contributing to their decision to withdraw from the lease.
The court documents unearthed by the respective news outlets outline that Powell demands back rent and future monthly payments, culminating in the multimillion-dollar figure. Powell's attorney, Arziki Adamu, is expected to respond by December 30 to the motion to dismiss filed by Banks and Martin's legal team. While Powell's counsel has currently offered no additional comments, the dispute persists in the legal realm, with a resolution to this financial tangle pending the court's assessment.
