Arianna Huffington Sued for 'Trashing' Chelsea Apartment
Media mogul Arianna Huffington is being sued for allegedly trashing an apartment she rented in Chelsea for two years. The landlord is suing for an unknown amount but claims that the repairs alone cost $275,000.
Huffington signed a lease for the $32,000 per month loft in May 2011, according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan's Supreme Court on Monday. One of the lease's contingencies stated that the loft was not to be used for business or personal parties and kept the guest limit to 12.
"Virtually all of the walls of the apartment were gouged, stained and otherwise damaged by clothing racks, furniture, luggage and general carelessness, requiring the entire apartment to be repainted," the lawsuit filed by landlord Eric Steel stated.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Steel also alleges that Huffington made "innumerable" copies of the elevator key for people, causing the lock to have to be reset in order to ensure future tenants' safety. Reports also state that floors were scratched and punctured, a mattress and pillow were covered in blood, and the apartment was uninhabitable for the past three months.
"Every single claim in this suit is false except the square footage and the address," Huffington said in a statement. The lawsuit is an attempt to "extort more money from me by making ludicrous claims." Steele, she said, "happily renewed the lease twice and visited the apartment multiple times."
Huffington is the President and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post media group. She is also the author of 13 books and has enjoyed great success as a media mogul, reporting on topics close to her heart and addressing social justice issues around the world. According to her biography on the Huffington Post, she was named one of the "Time" 100 twice- in 2006 and 2011.
Huffington is originally from Greece but moved to England when she was 16; she currently holds a Master of Arts in economics and has traveled around the world and met with dignitaries from various countries.
