It’s a case of the billionaire versus the celebrities.
On one side is Rick Caruso, the wealthy and powerful developer of popular “lifestyle” shopping malls including the Grove in Los Angeles and the Commons at Calabasas.
Opposite him: Soap opera actress Lisa Rinna, most recently known for her stints on “Dancing With the Stars,” and her husband, Harry Hamlin, the former star of “LA Law.”
The couple owns Belle Gray by Lisa Rinna, a trendy woman’s clothing boutique that Rinna calls her “cozy closet” and her “personal vision” of what fashion should be.
The original Sherman Oaks store is said to be recovering from the recession, but a second location the couple opened four years ago at Caruso’s Calabasas mall closed in October.
And now Caruso’s ownership entity is suing the couple, demanding more than $635,000 in damages, back rent and rent through the end of the lease. To be sure, lots of boutiques have closed and landlords have pursued them, but rarely does a conflict involve such high-profile combatants.
Caruso declined to discuss the case on the advice of company attorneys, but Hamlin, speaking on behalf of the couple, said the case is simple.
“The rent was very high and we did the best we could to keep operating at full speed, but sales just dried up,” said Hamlin, 58, who, it’s probably worth noting, starred in the movie “Clash of the Titans.”
The boutique sells Belle Gray private label sweat pants, tank tops and cashmere shawls, as well as dresses, shoes and accessories by various designers The sweats go for $48, while a Zambos & Siega clutch handbag sells for $308.
The couple, Hamlin said, got behind on rent and asked for a deferral plan to pay it back over time, but that was rejected, forcing the closure.
“Retail is very difficult at this point in time. We’re all trying to stay afloat, but it’s a real balancing act in this environment,” he said.
According to the Oct. 22 lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by the Commons at Calabasas LLC, the celebrity couple has “failed and refused” to pay the $7,946.26 monthly rent on their shop there since March 1. The lawsuit, which also names the couple’s business, Belle Gray Inc., stated the mall has not been able to lease the empty space.
“It would be foolish of me to speculate on how it will turn out,” said Hamlin. But he noted the Sherman Oaks store saw sales fall 40 percent but is now down just 10 percent as business comes back.
“That’s life in the great recession,” he said. “Everyone is working hard to get through.”
