Lawsuit Filed Against Tyra Banks For $2.8M Over Lease For Ice Cream Shop That Was Supposed To Open In Washington, D.C. – AfroTech
Tyra Banks is reportedly being sued for her ice cream venture.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the supermodel and her mother always shared a love for ice cream, which inspired Banks to open an ice cream truck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that also shipped pre-packaged pints to the U.S.
SMiZE & DREAM
From there, Banks expanded the business. In June, Banks opened up an ice cream shop called SMiZE & DREAM in Sydney, Australia, which was a sweet surprise for her mother, Carolyn London.
“The woman who gave me everything, even when she had nothing left to give. And here we are, in front of the wildest dream I’ve ever built: An ice cream paradise come to life. Her strength. Our long journey. One massive dream, scooped into reality,” Banks wrote on Instagram.
A month later, it was announced that Banks was bringing SMiZe & DREAM to Washington, D.C. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the ice cream shop was set to carry 10 flavors, including a Cap’n Crunch cereal inspired flavor.
Banks was reportedly on the hunt for a team to run the store and hosted a job fair on Monday, July 15.
“We are about to launch our SMiZE & DREAM pop up right here in Washington D.C. and we are at the final stretch of building our dream team of people that will work with us on our SMiZE & DREAM squad … My team can’t wait to meet you,” Banks expressed in a now-deleted Instagram post.
The Lawsuit
Complex reports that Banks is being sued for $2.8 million by Christopher Powell, a property owner whose space would have held the D.C. ice cream shop. In a civil complaint filed in federal court, he claims a 10-year commercial deal was signed with Banks in April 2024, SMiZE & DREAM, her nonprofit School of SMiZE, and her business partner Louis Martin.
Powell claims the project was also said to provide space to educate youth in science, sales, and hospitality. Powell also stated he was working on designs for the shop when he saw it being displayed for the Sydney, Australia, location. From there, Powell claims Banks and Martin “abruptly abandoned the premises in June 2024,” and allegedly failed to pay rent.
He also said there was “no indication that Ms. Banks and Mr. Martin would desert the venture.” Weeks later, he claims Banks opened a pop-up location nearby.
“While Mr. Powell scrambled to address the legal and financial fallout from their abandonment, Ms. Banks and Mr. Martin had already launched an alternative Smize and Dream venture elsewhere while ignoring their legal obligations,” the lawsuit reads, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Powell notes he was looking to resolve the issue, but was met with complaints about the property in a letter, which he asserts were false.
“They made claims of deficiency in the property that are both untrue and irrelevant, and threatened to publicize their lies if Mr. Powell filed a lawsuit against them,” the lawsuit reads. “Ms. Banks and Mr. Martin also stated that even if Mr. Powell filed a lawsuit and secured a ruling against them, they would not pay any judgment. Instead, they would avoid liability by shifting blame onto their company that they claim has no assets.”
Per Entertainment Weekly, Powell is hoping to receive $2.8 million in addition to late fees, interest, attorneys’ fees, and other costs.
