Why Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean could be on the hook for $1.4M
(L-R) Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Adam LaRoche attend the grand opening of E3 Chophouse Nashville on November 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images for E3 Chophouse Nashville)
NASHVILLE - A Nashville investment group is taking legal action to force country music stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean to personally pay more than $1.4 million after their exclusive downtown restaurant suddenly went dark.
Nashville celebrity restaurant lawsuit
What we know:
Village 21 Investment Partners, LLC filed a motion in the Davidson County Circuit Court on June 12 to amend its ongoing lawsuit against Outlaws, LLC. The investment group wants to add Georgia country stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean alongside partner Adam LaRoche as personal guarantors of the commercial lease.
The legal dispute stems from the sudden closure of E3 Chophouse, located at 1628 21st Ave. South. According to court documents, the tenant stopped paying monthly rent and abruptly shut down operations in February.
A General Sessions Court previously entered a default judgment against the tenant for more than $1.4 million. The tenant has since filed an appeal, prompting the landlord to try to hold the celebrity guarantors directly liable for the unpaid rent, damages, and mounting legal fees.
Unanswered business questions
What we don't know:
The legal representatives for Bryan, Aldean, and LaRoche have not yet publicly responded to the new motion or confirmed their next strategy in the appeal.
It remains unclear exactly why the business partners chose to stop paying rent and halt operations at the Nashville steakhouse earlier this year.
Davidson County court details
By the numbers:
- $1,427,135.54: The exact amount of the default judgment originally entered in the underlying commercial detainer action.
- 1628 21st Ave. South: The physical address of the retail property where the restaurant operated.
- July 10: The scheduled Friday morning court date at 9 a.m. when the motion is expected to be heard on the court's docket.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Davidson County Circuit Court records, which detailed the breach of contract motion filed by attorney Frankie N. Spero on behalf of Village 21 Investment Partners, LLC. This article is being reported out of Atlanta.