Tyra Banks Hit With $2.8M Lawsuit Over 'Abandoned' Ice Cream Shop

Tyra Banks is facing a $2.8 million lawsuit tied to a planned ice cream shop in Washington, D.C., after a landlord claims the deal fell apart just months after a long-term lease was signed.

via: Daily Mail

Court documents exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail reveal the supermodel's former landlord has filed a $2.8 million lawsuit against her for breach of contract.

Christopher Powell alleged in the October 2025 complaint that Banks, 52, entered into a 10-year commercial lease to open an ice cream shop and 'learning center' called Smize & Dream at his Washington, DC, property but then 'abruptly' backed out and refused to pay the rent.

He has claimed Banks and her longtime partner, Louis Bélanger-Martin - who is also being sued - 'fabricated grievances to justify their breach' and that Banks 'weaponized her celebrity influence to deter' Powell from filing a lawsuit.

The disgruntled landlord, 35, who claims he met the former model in March 2024, said she won him over with her heartwarming story about why she wanted to open an ice cream shop.

Per court docs, Banks had 'childhood memories' of eating ice cream with her mother, Carolyn London, while they would 'bond and chat about their goals, their dreams, and the laser-focus required to make them a reality.'

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Powell claimed the supermodel even brought him ice cream to sweeten the deal and praised the black entrepreneur on his success, saying she was 'proud' of him.

The real estate investor and developer had worked hard to acquire the property on his 32nd birthday on February 22, 2022. He said the building held 'special' significance because his mother had been been a fan of boutiques and he would often help her sell jewelry and clothes at Eastern Market, where the commercial space is located.

He stressed, however, that he was not enamored by Banks' celebrity status and still did his due diligence to ensure she would be a good tenant for the property, adding: 'It was a lot to get here... it was unfortunate how it all turned out.'

In his complaint, Powell said that Banks also told him she had plans to give back to the community because the shop would also serve as a place to provide underserved youth in Washington with education in science, sales and hospitality.

The venture was reportedly branded as The School of Smize, and Powell said he believed in Banks’ ability to ‘leverage her business acumen’ and ‘her celebrity’ to make the business a success.

On April 17, 2024, the parties signed the lease and began meeting with architects and designers, receiving various machines and supplies, and allegedly spending thousands of dollars to meet Banks' demands, per the complaint.

However, in June of that year, Banks and Martin allegedly 'abruptly abandoned the premises' and 'were refusing to pay rent.'

Powell claimed to the Daily Mail that although he was informed by Banks and Martin that they were vacating the space, he was under the assumption that they would still uphold the lease because they could 'sublet it' to someone else.

He claimed at this point that he and his former attorney did not seek clarification on this matter and instead told Banks and Martin that Powell simply was 'not accepting the termination,' not willing to take the keys back and that Banks and Martin needed to 'look into what other options' they could take.

Then, Powell claimed that he was taken aback when, in July, he turned on the news and saw Banks enjoying an ice cream at a pop-up shop in the nearby neighborhood of Woodley Park with none other than then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The developer noted that the high-profile sighting felt like a 'slap in the face.'

Powell's court filing alleged that it wasn't until September 2024 that Banks and Martin sent a letter explaining how they 'suddenly... vacated the premises' because 'they were promised the entire building.' Powell claimed in the filing that the latter allegation was 'an outrageous and easily disprovable lie.'

He provided in his complaint a series of texts purportedly sent between him and Martin prior to the lease signing, in which Banks' partner asked: 'Is the full building available for rent?' Powell then responded: 'There are two apartments that are currently rented. Everything else is available. Two retail spaces and two offices.'

Martin then allegedly wrote back, 'OK. We are interested in seeing these available spaces' and they went on to discuss prices.

Banks and Martin have refuted Powell's allegations, and claimed in a motion to dismiss filed with the court in November that the landlord is trying to 'extort' them.

They are claiming that they provided Powell with a formal termination notice in September 2024, as the landlord claimed in his complaint, but he allegedly did not respond, so they understood it to mean Powell had 'correctly acknowledged' his lease breaches.

Banks and Martin claimed in the notice that Powell 'failed and was entirely unable to deliver 40 [percent] of the promised Premises to School of Smize.'

They further claimed that Powell did not respond to the notice until August 2025, at which point he allegedly requested an 'exorbitant ransom of $2,951,331.'

'After Defendants refused to kowtow to Plaintiff’s celebrity shakedown, Plaintiff commenced this action by filing a Complaint rife with outrageous lies and slanders,' the motion to dismiss alleged, adding Powell was engaging in an 'opportunistic ploy.'

In response, Powell's attorney Arziki Adamu told the Daily Mail on Wednesday: 'Defendants use hot-button words like "ransom" and "extortion" so they can recast a valid legal case as a celebrity shakedown and discredit my client's claims. Mr. Powell is deeply disappointed and offended by these false accusations, especially in light of his repeated efforts to resolve this matter privately and amicably.'

'Mr. Powell has worked with other high-profile clients with only positive results, and speaks publicly now solely to protect his professional reputation,' she added, refuting any allegations that her client may be speaking out for fame or other ulterior motives.

Adamu concluded: 'His demand is solely for the amount to which he is entitled under the lease. To date, my client remains open to resolving this matter in good faith but Defendants prefer to drag him through litigation despite knowing they are in flagrant breach. All we ask is that the Court enforce a valid contract.'

In his original complaint, Powell said Banks and Martin 'lodged numerous false accusations' against him and his building and 'threatened to publicize their lies if Mr. Powell filed a lawsuit against them.'

To further defend himself, the landlord provided a sworn declaration from a female tenant who lived in his building for more than 20 years and 'unmistakably communicated that she has no plans to move.'

In the filing, obtained by the Daily Mail, the woman claimed she met Banks and Martin in 2024 and had 'several meetings and informal get-togethers' with them, where the supermodel allegedly 'never indicated to [her] that she was unhappy with [her] or the other residents living in the building, or that she expected [them] to move out.'

Powell is seeking a total of $2,831,331 for costs, including past-due rental payments, accelerated rent, late fees, accrued interest and attorneys’ fees.

He is apprehensive that he will receive any funds despite a potential ruling in his favor, though, because his court docs allege that Banks and Martin said they would 'avoid liability by shifting blame onto their company,' which they 'claim has no assets.'

The landlord allegedly accrued 'increasing monetary losses' due to him turning away other tenants and 'dedicating months of planning' to Banks' business.

In their motion to dismiss, Banks and Martin have already argued that the America's Next Top Model alum is a 'stateless' person as she resides in Australia and therefore the DC court does not have jurisdiction and 'must dismiss the case.'

Her lawyer revealed that Banks decided to relocate to Australia as that is where Smize & Dream's flagship store and production facility is located.

The attorney added that the move was 'later reinforced by the destruction of [Banks'] former home' in the January 2025 Palisades wildfires.

'As such, Ms. Banks considers Sydney, Australia to be her true, fixed, principal, and permanent home, and she intends to remain living there indefinitely.'

Banks lives in Sydney with Martin and her eight-year-old son York, whom she shares with ex Erik Asla. The former couple never married but dated for about five years.

It appears that Banks' new home has also sparked a personal rebrand. Aside from her ice cream business, the model also launched a new persona.

In early December, she shared in an Instagram video that she was taking fans on a 'unique' and 'weird' journey, and shortly thereafter released a Christmas song called 'Santa SMIZE, Santa SMIZE.'

Last weekend, Banks - clad in a bright yellow wig, Santa hat, velvet black dress and gloves - hit the stage at a pub in Sydney to perform her track. However, the crowd was visibly confused over the 30-minute set, which also included a bizarre rant.

She opened up about her relocation at her Santa Smize pop-up in New York City on Wednesday evening, telling the Daily Mail: ‘Starting fresh is hard. It is crazy. You have to have a serious support.

'It is not easy at all, so I wouldn’t encourage [it], but if you have it in you to pack up and do it, it could be amazing. But it takes a lot.’

Earlier on Wednesday, her lawyer told the Daily Mail exclusively in response to her legal matters: 'We will respectfully decline to comment at this time, other than to say that our clients vigorously deny the claims and allegations made against them.

'Our Motion to Dismiss details our clients’ positions regarding the assertions made against them. We are confident that our clients will ultimately prevail in the litigation and we look forward to vindicating their rights and positions through the judicial process.'

Powell concluded that despite him still having a favorable opinion of Banks, the situation has taken a toll on him: 'It's stressful, it's costly - it's just a lot.'

The landlord's case is ongoing and he is expected to file with the court an official response to Banks and Martins' motion to dismiss by December 16.