Tyra Banks Demands More Than $50,000 In Sanctions Against D.C. Landlord Who Sued Her For Allegedly Backing Out Of Ice Cream Shop Lease Without Warning

Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks Demands More Than $50,000 In Sanctions Against D.C. Landlord Who Sued Her For Allegedly Backing Out Of Ice Cream Shop Lease Without Warning

#TyraBanks is now seeking more than $50,000 in sanctions against her former business partner, claiming she should not have had to defend herself in court over a commercial lease dispute.

In legal filings obtained by TMZ, Tyra’s legal team called the lawsuit a “celebrity shakedown”, arguing the case was meritless and forced her to incur unnecessary legal costs. The demand for sanctions comes after a lengthy dispute with building owner Christopher Powell, who previously sued Tyra over an abandoned ice cream shop lease.

The conflict began with a 10?year lease for a Washington, D.C., property tied to Tyra’s Smize & Dream ice cream brand. Powell said he turned down other tenants and invested thousands in prepping the space before Tyra and her boyfriend. However, according to Powell, the couple ultimately backed out of the deal, and instead opened a location in Sydney, Australia, and stopped paying rent. Powell originally sought more than $2.8 million in damages and later upped his demand to $2.9 million, but ultimately voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit in December. Tyra denies any wrongdoing and is now pushing back against what she sees as an attempt to extract money from her.