Sam and Lara Worthington are suing their former landlord in Manhattan Supreme Court after he refused to return the security deposit on their New York rental home.
Eric Steel is refusing to return his bail because he claims the couple damaged a $115,000 table in the Chelsea loft, which was designed by his stepfather and late modernist architect Charles Gwathmey.
The table reportedly requires $86,000 worth of repairs, according to the New York Post.
The furniture has long been in the Manhattan apartment, which Steel owns and rents for approximately $45,400 (US$30,000) a month.
Steel allegedly refuses to return the deposit and claims the Worthingtons smashed the table and “trashed” the loft after renting it for more than a year.
It demands payment of $454,000 (US$300,000).
Steel was previously sued by media mogul Arianna Huffington after he accused her of damaging the same table, and the lawsuit was quickly settled.
Worthington’s attorney, Anne W. Salisbury, told The Post: “The Worthingtons, who left the apartment in near-perfect condition, will not tolerate Steel’s attempt to use his playbook to fabricate damages and target his tenants in exchange for a remuneration”.
Sam and Lara Worthington are suing their former landlord in Manhattan Supreme Court after he refused to return the security deposit on their New York rental home.
“Steel’s claims and counterclaims are demonstrably false and frivolous under New York law, as the Worthingtons will demonstrate in court.”
The Worthingtons have admitted to “wear and tear” on the apartment, including a broken closet and some scratches on the walls, according to the lawsuit.
“Plaintiffs could not have caused more than a couple thousand dollars in damages,” Worthington’s attorney said.
Salisbury told The Post that the couple had “offered to pay more than the cost of the repairs.”
Lara shares three children (Rocket, seven, Racer, six, and River, two) with Sam.
The couple, who began dating in 2013 and secretly married in 2014, moved to the United States to live a quiet life away from the spotlight.
Eric Steel is refusing to return his bail because he claims the couple damaged a $115,000 table in their Chelsea loft that was designed by his stepfather and late modernist architect Charles Gwathmey.