Supermodel‑turned‑entrepreneur Tyra Banks is at the center of a significant legal battle, as a Washington, D.C. landlord has filed a $2.8 million lawsuit alleging she and her business partners unlawfully abandoned a long‑term lease for a planned ice cream shop in the nation’s capital.
The Dispute
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by landlord Christopher Powell, centers on a 10‑year commercial lease signed in April 2024 for retail space in the Eastern Market neighborhood. Powell claims Banks — along with business partner and romantic partner Louis Bélanger‑Martin and their company School of SMiZE LLC — signed the lease with plans to open a flagship location for their ice cream brand Smize & Dream.
However, according to the complaint, Banks and her team abandoned the premises by June 2024, barely two months after signing, and stopped paying rent while pursuing other ventures, including a permanent Smize & Dream location in Sydney, Australia, and various promotional pop‑ups around the U.S.
Powell’s lawsuit accuses the defendants of breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud, claiming he invested heavily in preparing the space — including architectural work and build‑out plans requested by Banks’ team — based on their assurances. He says the abrupt abandonment left him facing substantial financial losses and a vacant commercial property.
Bank’s Response
In November 2025, Banks and Martin filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Powell failed to deliver the full space as promised and that the building suffered serious mechanical, electrical, and plumbing issues that made it unsuitable for their business. They also contend that they provided Powell with early notice of termination well before the lease’s official start date and described the lawsuit as an “opportunistic ploy” aimed at extracting money from high‑profile defendants.
Legal and Community Impact
Powell is seeking $2,831,331, including past and future rent, late fees, attorney’s costs, and damages for lost business opportunities. The case entered the motion‑to‑dismiss phase, with Powell expected to file his opposition by the end of December 2025. If the judge denies dismissal, the case could move into discovery and potentially trial, where both sides would exchange evidence.
Banks’ foray into the food and lifestyle market with “hot ice cream,” a warm dessert concept that has gone viral on social media, has drawn public interest — but her pivot from D.C. plans to an international launch has now resulted in high‑stakes litigation.
What’s Next
Legal observers note that commercial lease disputes — especially those involving public figures — can set precedents for how courts interpret performance obligations and termination rights in contracts tied to brand‑building ventures. For now, both sides await further filings as the case unfolds in the coming weeks.
