Cooper-Young landlords want to evict the owners of FancyStudios (formerly Heaux House) because they were “not operating a yoga studio,” as spelled out in the lease, but a “photography studio specializing in pornographic images.”
Sharon and Dante Andreini own the property at 2163 Young Avenue, according to county data. The building is across the street from Grivet Sports and 901 Comics. Randii Reaves rented the space from them and opened Heaux House there in mid-January. In March, Reaves received a letter from Derek Whitlock, an attorney for the Andreinis, telling Reaves she violated the terms of her lease.
“It has been brought to my client’s attention by numerous neighbors, local officials, and concerned citizens that you are not operating a yoga studio as required in the lease,” Whitlock wrote. “Judging by the the advertisements you have placed in social media and in the public space you are operating a photography studio specializing in pornographic images.
You are operating a photography studio specializing in pornographic images.
Derek Whitlock, attorney
“The titling of your business as the ‘Heaux House’ further calls into question precisely what services are being offered in the premises.”
Whitlock said Reaves was operating an “adult-oriented establishment,” which violated the lease, and violated the Shelby County Uniform Code by operating such a business within 1,500 feet of a church, children’s schools, and family residences.
A mural on the side of the building once read “Welcome to the Haus. Heaux House” in large letters that spanned the entire east-facing side of the building. Reaves’ attorney Jacob Brown said the landlords said the mural was a problem. Reaves painted over the letters with black paint. The mural was in this state Monday morning.
Brown said the very next contact from the landlords was that letter claiming she was running a porn studio, not a yoga studio. It was not a cease and desist letter, Brown said; it said, “basically, you need to get out. We’re terminating the lease.”
She’s not operating a pornography studio.
Jacob Brown, attorney
“I’ve reviewed the lease and I don’t think there’s any way in which Randii’s breached the lease,” Brown said. “She’s not operating a pornography studio. She’s operating a photo studio that she had the landlord’s permission to operate in connection with her yoga studio. The photography studio had sets and props that catered to boudoir themes.”
A scroll through the FancyStudios (formerly Heaux House) Facebook page shows images from several photo shoots inside the building. In many of them, women in lingerie and other revealing clothes lounge on a bed or a chaise lounge or otherwise pose on sets with props like roses, wine glasses, vases, and pillows. A January TikTok video shows a couple’s session in which a pair pose in various sex positions. The woman wears lingerie and the man wears boxer briefs for the entirety of the video.
One Facebook post sought to “clear up any misconceptions we may have” about the term “heaux.” It said the word was “not to be used in a derogatory way,” explaining that it came from the idea “that women can take empowerment back from words used so long to destroy them.” Another post says, “not tryna slut shame, but y’all could definitely be sluttier. Step it up.”
The Facebook feed is also filled with yoga videos, aerial yoga videos, and the studio’s daily yoga schedule. The company also advertised twerking classes, “Swerk” and “Twerking After Working.”
In May, Reaves announced on Facebook that she “was forced to change our name” from Heaux House to FancyStudios.
Some outside sources have been telling lies about us and sending them pictures from our social media.
Randii Reaves, owner FancyStudios (via Facebook)
“[The landlords] have never visited us or stepped foot into our business since they gave us possession,” Reaves said on Facebook earlier this month. “Some outside sources have been telling lies about us and sending them pictures from our social media.”
Reaves said she tried to speak with the Andreinis to resolve the issue “but they have proceeded with their prosecution.” They sued Reaves to vacate the building. The first hearing in the case was last week. The issue is due back in court on Monday, May 23rd.
“At the worst, it’s malicious,” said Brown, Reaves’ attorney. “Maybe they’re trying to get her out so they can get someone else in if they can charge a higher rent, too. At the very least, it’s completely misunderstanding what’s going on there.”