Update on Harden's Houston restaurant closure: Beard's mother named defendant over $2.2 million rent arrears

On September 15th Beijing time, the mother of Clippers star Harden found herself entangled in a legal case over $2.2 million in unpaid rent by a restaurant registered under her son’s name. The restaurant located in Houston’s midtown area stopped operating earlier this month due to a rent conflict with the landlord. Shortly after, the landlord filed a lawsuit naming Harden’s mother, Monja Ellis, as the defendant.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Harden’s mother reportedly promised the landlord to pay "additional rent" beyond the original lease but never intended to fulfill that promise. Harden opened the restaurant named “Thirteen” in Houston in January 2021 — just months later, he requested a trade. The restaurant is currently managed by a team hired by Harden, with his mother said to have played a role in its administrative decisions.

The lawsuit states: “Monja Ellis repeatedly represented the tenant and made commitments to pay additional rent under the lease agreement. However, the plaintiff (landlord) has learned that ‘Thirteen’ restaurant and its related entity ‘13 Strikes’ never intended to pay this additional rent. The additional rent continues to accrue and remains unpaid.”

The complaint revealed by the Houston Chronicle further notes, “Since lease negotiations, the woman directly stated that contrary to the agreement, the tenant never intended to pay the additional rent.” According to the lease, “additional rent” typically includes all charges beyond base rent such as utilities, property taxes, insurance, common area maintenance fees, and late fees.

The plaintiff’s legal team is seeking $1 million in monetary damages while reserving rights to pursue further damages and legal costs. Before Harden became a superstar, his mother worked as a nurse in California and later relocated to Arizona due to job transfer. During Harden’s long tenure with the Rockets, she lived in Houston and helped operate the restaurant.

This former Rockets player left Houston amid controversy in 2021, and now it seems even his restaurant has closed in a manner he likely would not have wanted to see.

For the Los Angeles Clippers superstar, this debt represents only a small fraction of his reported $220 million net worth. Fans are eagerly awaiting Harden’s response on this matter. Given Harden’s strong ties to his family and business in Houston, it is expected he will quickly provide necessary support; meanwhile, there is also interest in whether the management team may have been negligent and if any investigations have been conducted.

The “Thirteen” restaurant, located just 1.3 miles (about a 5-minute drive) from the Rockets’ home arena, Toyota Center, was Harden’s attempt to leave a mark in his “second hometown” of Houston.