Pro-skater and NYC native Tyshawn Jones is taking his long-time sponsor to court — and it’s not just any sponsor. The 26-year-old is suing Supreme for a staggering $26 million, accusing the legendary streetwear label of breaching their contract and running a smear campaign that’s wrecked his career.
The legal drama kicked off with a filing on May 12 in Manhattan’s Supreme Court. Jones, who’s been riding with Supreme since he was just 11 years old, claims the brand dropped him last September under shady circumstances — right before Supreme’s sale to Luxottica, the eyewear giant. He says Supreme owes him $1.25 million from his contract, and he’s looking to add $25 million more for the fallout that followed.
So what’s behind the fallout? According to the complaint, Supreme cited a photoshoot Jones did in August 2024 where he rocked Marc Jacobs — supposedly a breach of contract. But Jones isn’t buying that excuse. He points out he’s repped other high-profile brands like Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Tiffany & Co. since 2022, and Supreme never raised a fuss before. “I was transparent and open,” he says in the filing, adding that Supreme execs “did not express any objections.”
Instead, Jones argues, Supreme was cutting costs and used the Marc Jacobs shoot as an excuse to get rid of him. Even worse, he alleges they went around telling people he got “kicked off” for breaching the contract, branding him a “liability” and making him untouchable to other brands. The lawsuit doesn’t hold back, saying Supreme “has widely disparaged Tyshawn as a liability, a risk — someone no brand would want to affiliate or work with.”
Jones isn’t just fighting for himself — he sees it as bigger than one skater’s career. “I am saddened it has come to this, but I have a duty to myself and my career, and feel a responsibility to the next generation of skateboarders to stand up for what is right,” he told the New York Post. “Supreme’s success has been shaped in large part by the contributions of young talent, and I believe those contributions deserve to be respected.”
The suit makes a bold claim: that Tyshawn’s name is as tied to Supreme as Jordan’s is to Nike. Whether the court agrees or not, this is one beef that’s got the streetwear and skate worlds watching closely.