Earlier this month, James Harden’s restaurant shut down in Houston’s Midtown over a rent conflict with the landlords. The overdue rent was claimed to be $2.2 million in the notice that was pasted on the door of the restaurant. Subsequently, just weeks later, the landlords filed a lawsuit and named James Harden’s mother, Monja Ellis, in the matter as well.
According to the Chron’s report, Harden’s mother allegedly promised “additional rent” on top of the original amount due to the landlords, which she never intended to do.
Thirteen, a restaurant that Harden opened in Houston in January 2021, just months before requesting a trade, was now run by a management team that Harden hired, and his mother allegedly played a role in the executive decisions of the restaurant.
“Several of the statements and agreements to pay Additional Rent were made by Ms. Willis on behalf of Tenants in connection with the Lease. However, Plaintiff has become aware that Thirteen and 13 Strikes never intended to pay Additional Rent. Additional Rent continues to accumulate without payment.”
“Additionally, since the Lease negotiations, Ms. Willis has directly stated that, contrary to the agreement, Tenants never intended to pay Additional Rent,” says the petition that has been filed, as per Chron.
As stated in the lease agreement, “additional rent” generally refers to any sum that a tenant is required to pay in addition to the base rent. This includes expenses such as utilities, property taxes, insurance, common area maintenance (CAM), and late fees.
The plaintiffs’ legal team is requesting $1 million in monetary relief, with the possibility of further damages and other legal bills. Before Harden was a superstar, his mother was a nurse in California, and then she moved to Arizona for work. Following his long stint with the Rockets, she settled in Houston and helped run the restaurant.
The former Rockets’ star had a controversial exit from the city back in 2021, and now it seems that even his restaurant will shut down in a manner he would not have hoped to see.
These arrears are merely a fraction of the Clippers’ superstar’s $220 million reported net worth, and supporters eagerly await when Harden will break the silence on the matter. He is anticipated to swiftly help wherever necessary here, as he highly values his family and business in Houston, but also to unravel if any potential misdoings of the management have been unearthed.
Located just 1.3 miles away, i.e, just a five-minute drive from the Rockets’ Toyota Center, Thirteen was a part of the legacy that Harden wanted to leave behind in his second home, Houston. It seems like when the Clippers face the Rockets next in Houston, Harden will have to find a different restaurant for his post-game meal.
