Tyra Banks Is Staring Down A $2.8 Million Lawsuit Amid Santa Chaos

Tyra Banks' dream come true ice cream venture seems to have flipped the switch.

The model has been slammed with a whopping multi-million-dollar lawsuit for refusing to pay rent to her former landlord. This throbbing lawsuit against Smize & Dream, her ice cream venture, does not speak well of the brand at this time, when she recently had a meltdown moment.

Tyra Banks had the public with mixed feelings about her brand with her recent chaotic promotional move, leaving fans with more questions than answers.

Bank's new ice cream brand, Smize & Dream, potentially has a hanging million-dollar debt. Her former landlord has filed a $2.8 million lawsuit against her for breach of contract.

Banks, according to court documents, entered into a 10-year commercial lease with Christopher Powell but did not hold up her end of the bargain.

The lease for the building was intended for an ice cream shop and learning center at his Washington, property, but then she abruptly backed out and refused to pay the rent. Powell claims that Banks and her longtime partner, Louis Bélanger-Martin, fabricated grievances to justify their breach.

Her partner is also being sued, and the landlord further claims that the supermodel weaponized her celebrity influence to ward off Powell from filing a lawsuit.

The Daily Mail revealed that both parties signed the agreement in April 2024, but the pair backed out in June of the same year without a tangible reason. What fueled the feud was the fact that they were refusing to pay the rent and also did not want to uphold the lease.

The court documents revealed that Banks had previously opened up about the sweet childhood memories she had of eating ice cream with her mom and how they spent time bonding.

Banks reportedly won Powell over with her touching story about why she wanted to open an ice cream shop. She also brought some ice cream to sweeten the deal and praised her former landlord on his success, saying she was proud of him.

The model shared her dream of opening a shop that would serve a dual purpose. One of which was giving back to the community by providing for the underserved youth.

After they signed the lease, Powell reportedly met with architects and designers, received various machines and supplies, and allegedly spent thousands of dollars to meet Banks' demands.

When they suddenly backed out, he refused to accept termination as he assumed they would uphold the lease and sublet the building.

Banks and her partner claimed that they left abruptly because Powell promised them the entire building, which he called BS, producing evidence against their claims. They then claimed in a motion to dismiss filed with the court in November that the landlord is trying to extort them.

Banks made a move to promote her brand, but it quickly went south. The act was meant to be a Christmas-themed fun appearance channeling Santa until it wasn't. The model took the stage at a pub in Sydney, Australia, dressed in a skintight black dress and a yellow Santa hat.

The viral clip shows how she raised chatter when she suddenly stopped the music to give a monologue about Santa Claus. Fans were left confused, entertained, and concerned for her. 

The Blast shares that she told the audience that Santa is not the wholesome cookie-and-milk icon he pretends to be, at least not when it comes to her ice cream. When she was done, the audience seemed unsure of how to react, whether to laugh or just keep paying attention.

Bank's latest product, the hot ice cream, has got fans with mixed feelings. On the other hand, the business owner hopes that Harvard Business School will study her new creation. She keeps the saying "Different is better than better" close to her heart as she steps into her new role with Smize and Dream.

Her new product has left fans baffled with confusion and intrigue. The model admits that the public's feelings are not far off what she expected. "I launched a new product that's weird and confusing, but super tasty with a wild campaign," she said.

Bank's is not perturbed by the reaction of people to her latest launch; she sees it as taking a hit for her business, and she is alright with people thinking she is crazy. Keeping an open mindset, Forbes shares that she is not interested in trademarking hot ice cream; instead, she wants it to be widely recognized.

Banks previously opened up about her relationship with her mom, Carolyn London. She shared that London did not believe in sugarcoating things. She told her what to expect in life, and this really helped the model navigate her way in the real world.

The mother-daughter duo had talks covering a wide range of topics. As Banks revealed, her mother also told her about boys and what to expect in relationships.

Their bond was built to give her a safe haven. She could ask London about her interests, fears, dating, and even drugs. As The Blast covers, her mom was always direct with her answers. This helped her develop tough skin while also having a comfortable space with her mom.

How would Tyra Banks walk from this lawsuit?