Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, has been accused of trashing a Chelsea loft in New York that she leased from documentary filmmaker, Eric Steel.
Steel has filed a lawsuit in the Manhattan Supreme Court Monday, April 1, against Huffington claiming that the apartment was found in a tragic condition after she moved out. Steel has sued her, demanding $275,000 in damages. The 4,400 square feet condo sits on the seventh floor of the building at 227 West. 17th Street. The fully furnished apartment was designed by starchitect, Charles Gwathmey, who happens to be Steel's stepfather.
According to the New York Post, Steel's lawsuit stated that the walls were "gouged, stained and otherwise damaged". The wooden floors were also scratched and punctured and mattresses were left "blood stained"! In addition to the stated reasons, she was also accused of causing irreplaceable damage to a dining room table, which was also designed by Gwathmey. The table had to be crated, hoisted out of the apartment and repaired by the original manufacturer. Moreover, chemicals from candles and cosmetics had ruined the steel window seats and ledges.
Apparently, the lease agreement of the apartment stated that the place could not be used for huge parties and business functions and limited the number of guests to 12 only, which the media czarina had defied, reports Red Flag News.
"Huffington was using the apartment for large parties and business functions in breach of the sublease and Huffington's promises. Dishwasher racks, stove knobs and a refrigerator drawer were broken and had to be replaced," Steel's complaint read.
Steel also claimed that the apartment was in a "pristine condition" when Huffington moved into it. The walls and floors were just redone before her entry. The condo has now been torn to shreds.
In response to the lawsuit, Huffington retorted:
"Every single claim in this suit is false except the square footage and the address. Eric Steel, who happily renewed the lease twice and visited the apartment multiple times, is holding onto $93,000 dollars in deposits, which he has refused to return. He is obviously trying to extort more money from me by making ludicrous claims to the NY Post. It won't work."
