Tyra Banks is mixing it up in a dramatic court case involving her ice cream business, Smize&Dream, and a disgruntled landlord named Christopher Powell. The drama began when Powell claimed Tyra and her boyfriend, Louis Bélanger-Martin, pulled a fast one by abandoning a lease for a flagship store in Washington, D.C., while they opened a different location down under in Sydney, Australia. Naturally, he feels betrayed, having spent a fortune to prepare the D.C. space for their arrival.
Now, Tyra is pushing back, demanding over $50,000 in sanctions, calling Powell’s accusations a“celebrity shakedown.”She argues that her celebrity status was used against her by making her an easy target for a lawsuit. It turns out, fame isn’t always a sweet perk—especially when ice cream businesses and landlords are involved. Will Tyra scoop up a win, or is this battle just beginning?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.