Tyra Banks Hit With $2.8M Lawsuit Over Alleged Abandonment of 10-Year Commercial Lease

Supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks is facing a massive legal battle after a landlord filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit alleging breach of contract. Banks, along with her business partner Louis Martin, is being sued for over £2.24 million ($2.8 million) for allegedly abandoning a commercial space just months after signing a long-term lease.

The dispute centres on a property in Washington, DC, which Banks reportedly planned to be the flagship location of her ice cream brand SMiZE & DREAM. The lawsuit claims Banks abandoned the property and is now refusing to pay rent.

The £2.24 Million Lawsuit

Christopher Powell, the landlord with whom Banks entered into a 10-year commercial lease in April 2024, filed a formal complaint against the television personality in the D.C. federal court on 9 October 2024. The lawsuit named the America's Next Top Model host and her partner, Louis Martin, as defendants.

Powell claims he and Banks signed a decade-long commercial lease for her SMiZE & DREAM, and her nonprofit School of SMiZE. The agreement secured the premises 'as-is' following initial discussions that began in March of that year.

The plaintiff is seeking 'no less than £2,265,065 ($2,831,331),' in addition to accrued interest, late fees, and attorneys' fees, according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly. Powell's attorney, Arziki Adamu, stated that once the defendants made it clear they would not honour the agreement, the landlord was left with 'no option but to sue' to recover the stipulated losses.

Allegations of Abandonment and Unpaid Rent

When Banks was still scouting Powell's building, she allegedly told him that it would be 'the flagship location' of SMiZE & DREAM and her 'global chain serving communities around the world.'

Powell claimed that Banks' abruptly abandoned' his building in June 2024, just two months after she signed the commercial lease, and refused to pay rent.

The landlord said there had been 'no indication that Ms Banks and Mr Martin would desert the venture' because the pair had 'repeatedly conveyed their dedication to opening Smize & Dream in his building.'

'While Mr Powell scrambled to address the legal and financial fallout from their abandonment, Ms Banks and Mr Martin had already launched an alternative Smize and Dream venture elsewhere while ignoring their legal obligations,' the lawsuit read.

Failed Attempts at 'Amicable Resolution'

According to Powell, he tried to have an 'amicable resolution' with Banks and Martin before he took the legal action, but they reportedly 'lodged numerous false accusations' against him, his property, and the contract in September.

'They made claims of deficiency in the property that are both untrue and irrelevant, and threatened to publicize their lies if Mr. Powell filed a lawsuit against them,' the complaint read. 'Ms. Banks and Mr. Martin also stated that even if Mr. Powell filed a lawsuit and secured a ruling against them, they would not pay any judgment. Instead, they would avoid liability by shifting blame onto their company that they claim has no assets.'

Entertainment Weekly reached out to Banks and Martin for comment, but did not get a response. The outlet, however, found out that the couple's attorney, Steven Willner, filed a motion to dismiss Powell's lawsuit on 11 November 'for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim.'

Brand's Background and Recent Launch

SMiZE & DREAM is a dessert brand founded by Tyra Banks, inspired by her mother, Carolyn London. Banks launched her ice cream brand, SMiZE Cream, in 2021. It shifted focus to its 'hot ice cream' concept in 2024 with pop-ups in DC. Its flagship store in Sydney, Australia, opened in early 2025.

Banks shared a clip of her mother's reaction on Instagram when she showed her the flagship store. It was a surprise, and London was visibly shocked and emotional as she stared at the building, saying, 'Oh my God, it's huge!'

Bank's mum said she thought it would be 'a little ice cream store.' She cried and told her daughter 'you worked so hard', saying she was pleased that she got to see what Banks had worked so hard for.

'It's like a dream,' London said as she recounted their ice cream bonding years ago to celebrate how they get through each week and talk about their dreams in life.

'Ice cream was so special for us,' Bank's mother continued tearfully as she spoke about their obsession with ice cream.