Celebrity chef Madison Cowan evicted from NYC apartment, landlord says he hasn’t paid rent in years
By N.J. Burkett
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BOERUM HILL, Brooklyn (WABC) — A judge has ordered celebrity chef Madison Cowan to move out of his apartment in Brooklyn.
Cowan is a well-known former champion of Food Network shows like “Iron Chef” and “Chopped” and has cooked for some celebrities.
His landlord claims Cowan has not paid rent since January 2020 on his apartment in Boerum Hill and refuses to leave.
Cowan raced down five flights of stairs to avoid our camera Wednesday.
Cowan is used to moving fast. He’s a celebrity chef who whipped up world-class dishes in just minutes on The Food Network.
According to court filings, he’s been living in a one-bedroom apartment in a Brooklyn townhouse where the rent is $2,750 a month.
But his landlord claims he hasn’t paid a dime since January 2020.
He’s faced eviction multiple times. Last week, marshals tried to evict him yet again but were turned away because Cowan had filed an appeal, yet again.
In civil court, Cowan insisted he couldn’t afford to pay, that his livelihood was “seriously impacted by the pandemic,” and now the publicity surrounding his rent dispute has made it worse.
“I couldn’t get a job,” he told the judge. “It all went away.”
But the court upheld the eviction.
Attorney Chad Karp is an expert in housing law.
“If someone doesn’t care about their credit, if someone doesn’t care about physically being thrown out, it’ll take two years. It can take longer — a landlord has to be prepared to endure that type of tenant,” Karp said.
Cowan has two weeks to move out or face eviction once more. His landlord asked not to appear on-camera but says he won’t believe it until Cowan is gone.
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