Tyra Banks
Asking for $50,000 in court docket…
About ‘Celeb Shakedown’
Revealed February 24, 2026 1:00 AM PST
Tyra Banks is embroiled in a nasty lawsuit over her Ice Cream firm. She claims a landlord is attempting to do a “movie star shakedown.”
Within the court docket paperwork, Tyra… who’s combating a Washington DC landlord over a scrapped plan to open an ice cream parlor… is now in search of greater than $50,000 in sanctions from the owner who tried to sue her.
Tyra mentioned the owner is aware of she lives in Australia and has no actual ties to America or DC, the place the lawsuit was filed. She mentioned there was plenty of publicity about her transfer to the land Down Below and the owner ought to have been conscious of it.
It began in October 2025, when a constructing proprietor named Christopher Powell – by way of his firm – sued Tyra and her enterprise accomplice and buddy, Louis Bélanger-Martin.
In accordance with the lawsuit, Powell was in discussions with Tyra and Louis to open a location for her ice cream firm, Smize & Dream, in his Washington, DC constructing.
He claims Tyra instructed him the DC location can be the flagship retailer and would additionally assist underserved youth in Washington.
The owner mentioned Tyra and her enterprise accomplice signed a 10-year lease for the placement in April 2024. He claims he spent hundreds renovating the place.
The lawsuit claims Tyra went behind his again and opened a location in Sydney, Australia. Christopher mentioned he was upset as a result of he had turned away different tenants from signing the lease together with her, inflicting him to lose cash.
In accordance with court docket paperwork, Tyra and her boyfriend left the D.C. location in June 2024 and refused to pay hire. The lawsuit says Tyra “weaponized” her movie star affect to maintain him from suing her. Christopher sought damages in extra of $2.8 million.
Tyra denied all allegations of wrongdoing. She claimed she terminated the lease for legitimate causes, which led to the owner demanding $2.9 million, which Tyra known as a “movie star shakedown.”
The owner ultimately voluntarily dismissed the case in December… however Tyra is now demanding sanctions for having to defend herself within the first place and desires the decide to ship a powerful message to the owner.
