Pop sensation Katy Perry has officially snagged a $15 million mansion in Montecito after a grueling three-year legal battle. The lavish estate, nestled in the celebrity-studded enclave, once belonged to entrepreneur and disabled veteran Carl Westcott, who challenged the sale citing mental incapacity due to Huntington’s disease. Here’s the inside scoop on this high-stakes courtroom saga that has everyone talking.
The Glittering Prize: A Montecito Mansion
The Montecito mansion, a two-acre estate with an eight-bedroom house, became the center of a legal tug-of-war between Perry and Westcott. The pop star acquired the property on May 17, through her LLC, DDoveB, named after her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, according to property records seen by The Wall Street Journal.
In July 2020, Perry, 39, made a move to buy the property from the 85-year-old Westcott. The deal, brokered by Perry’s business manager Bernie Gudvi, seemed smooth until Westcott changed his mind just days later. He argued that he was mentally incapacitated due to Huntington’s disease and the pain medication he was on post-back surgery, rendering him incapable of making a sound decision.
Legal Drama Unfolds
Huntington’s disease, which affects brain regions controlling voluntary movement, often leads to dementia. This was central to Westcott’s argument as he sought to reverse the sale. However, in December 2023, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner ruled in Perry’s favor, stating, “Westcott presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked capacity to enter into a real estate contract.”
Perry’s attorney, Eric Rowen, asserted that the case boiled down to Westcott simply changing his mind. “The evidence shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract for no other reason than he had changed his mind,” Rowen told Rolling Stone.
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A Battle Over Damages
The legal battle isn’t over yet. Perry is seeking damages for lost rental value and delays in necessary repairs, which include water damage and a fallen tree. These damages could exceed $6 million, and the upcoming phase of the trial will determine what, if anything, Perry still owes Westcott.
Chart Westcott, Carl’s son, didn’t hold back his feelings, telling The Wall Street Journal that Perry’s pursuit of damages was “heartless,” accusing her of Hollywood hypocrisy and fake empathy. He noted that these damages would, in effect, be paid by his father’s grandchildren.
The Price of Fame and Fortune
Westcott originally purchased the property in May 2020 for $11.25 million. Just a few weeks later, Perry swooped in, outbidding TV journalist Maria Shriver. Now, the pop star’s new digs place her among other high-profile neighbors like Oprah Winfrey and the royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Not Perry’s First Legal Rodeo
This isn’t Katy Perry’s first entanglement in property disputes. Back in 2015, she found herself in a legal face-off with two elderly nuns over the sale of a former convent. The Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary claimed they had already sold the property before Perry’s purchase from Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez. The nuns argued that Gomez had no right to sell the property, which they had lived in since the 1970s.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles sued to block the nuns’ deal, claiming the nuns had exceeded their authority. In 2016, a judge ruled in favor of Perry and the Archdiocese, awarding them over $10 million in damages. The drama took a tragic turn in 2018 when Sister Catherine Rose Holzman collapsed and died during a court appearance, leading her fellow Sister Rita Callanan to declare that Perry had “blood on her hands.”
A Pop Star’s Triumph
With the Montecito mansion now officially hers, Katy Perry can add another luxurious property to her portfolio. Despite the legal hurdles and emotional drama, the star has come out on top, securing a stunning estate that cements her status among Hollywood’s elite. Fans and onlookers alike will no doubt be watching to see what Perry does next with her new Montecito haven.
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