Court rules that Katy Perry is owed $1.8 million in damages for lost rental income at Montecito Mansion after bitter legal battle
A court has ruled that pop star Katya Perry owes $1.8 million in lost rental income on the Montecito mansion she spent four years fighting over in court — after suing the former owner for $5 million in damages.
Perry, 41, and her former fiancé, Orlando Bloom48, purchased the property from a distressed veteran Carl Westcott85, through their manager, Bernie Gudvifor $15 million in 2020, after which the home’s owner backed out just days later, claiming he had been under the influence of painkillers when he agreed to the sale.
Perry and Westcott would subsequently be involved in a bitter legal battle over the property for four years, before a judge awarded ownership to the “Dark Horse” singer and her then-partner in December 2023. In May 2024, they officially took control of the property.
The chart-topper then sued Westcott – who has Huntington’s disease – for $5 million in damages, a move that was rejected by his family, who criticized her for having “no empathy.”
In court documents, she claimed she had lost “$3,525,000 in rental value” while also demanding that Westcott pay “$1,343,401.95 for necessary repairs” to the property.
Although the total for these two amounts was $4,868,401.95, that amount was reduced to reflect the $149,703 that Westcott lost, according to the documents.
Although she was not awarded that full amount, Westcott has now been ordered to pay out nearly $2 million to the singer, the newspaper said. People.
The judge ruled on November 25 Joseph Lipner of California Superior Court in Los Angeles County ruled that Perry owes a total of $1,842,142.84, the outlet reported.
That total includes $2,795,000 for lost rental income between September 2020 – when Perry and Bloom closed the deal – and March 31, 2024, when the house was last owned by Westcott.
The judge then deducted $1,062,736 in retained capital and the $149,703 Westcott lost in interest during that time – while capping the cost of the repairs at $259,581.84, which is exactly the amount previously proposed by Westcott’s lawyers.
However, the $1.8 million is not paid by Westcott, but is deducted from the $6 million still owed to him for the house; Gudvi initially paid him only $9 million of the agreed upon price and has waited to pay the rest until a judgment was reached in Perry’s case. He now owes Westcott $4,157,857.16.
Judge Lipner’s ruling marks the end of a tumultuous and bitter legal battle between Perry and Westcott, which has raged since the sale was agreed more than five years ago.
At the time, Westcott attempted to withdraw from the sale of his home, stating that he was “of unsound mind” due to a medical procedure he had recently undergone.
“The combination of his age, the vulnerability due to his back problems and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day, drove Mr. Westcott crazy,” Westcott’s attorneys said in court documents.
However, Perry’s representatives argued that Westcott had been of sound mind when he agreed to the deal and that he only wanted to withdraw because he had been unable to find an alternative Montecito property to his liking or budget.
Their years-long legal battle was finally resolved in December 2023, when a judge ruled in Perry’s favor and ordered that the original sales contract – which was drawn up by the pop star’s business manager – be upheld.
Perry officially took possession of the home in May 2024. The sprawling, 9,285-square-foot 1930s complex sits among the foothills of Santa Ynez and features eight bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a tennis court, two guesthouses and a pool.
However, the battle did not end there. Shortly after that verdict, Perry decided to file a lawsuit against Westcott for $6 million in damages — a decision that was rejected by his family, who accused her of having “no empathy whatsoever.”
Perry sensationally admitted during an August hearing, where she appeared via Zoom, that she does not actually own the Montecito property. It was actually purchased by her former fiancé, Bloom.
In her 55-minute testimony, which was frequently interrupted by objections from her attorney, Perry corroborated a courtroom revelation from her business partner that it was Bloom who held title to the Santa Barbara County property through the limited liability company DDoveB, named after the former couple’s daughter.
Perry and Bloom had ended their six-year engagement a month before the hearing. However, the “California Gurls” singer said during her testimony that the actor and their shared daughter are her “family for life.”
“So when ownership of the house was transferred as a result of this lawsuit, it never went to you or to any entity you control, isn’t that true?” Westcott’s lawyer, Andrew Thomasasked her.
“Yes sir,” Perry responded, adding that DDoveB was one of Bloom’s limited liability companies.
When asked by Thomas what she stood to gain from the outcome of the trial, Perry replied: “Justice.”
“What about money?” Thomas asked. “Could you make money from the outcome of this lawsuit?”
“I risk losing money if it doesn’t work out in my favor,” Perry said.
Perry admitted that she did not contribute any money when Bloom’s LLC purchased the home in 2024 and that her role in renovating the home was limited to being a “partner and advisor.”
The celebrity witness further elaborated on her participation in the renovation, saying she saw “photos and videos” of the work being carried out but did not actively participate.
However, when asked who would be responsible for paying Westcott the remaining $6 million owed on the price of the house, Perry said it was likely that she and Bloom would pay together.
“Are you two partners in the property somehow?” Thomas asked, prompting Perry to respond, “We’re family for life.”
While she did not say she and Bloom were financial partners, she did say the property at the center of the case was of “good financial interest to me.”
She added: “I will benefit financially from it.”
Perry did not reveal whether she or Bloom ever actually lived in the Montecito residence, which they originally purchased as a family home to raise their daughter. Daisy Dove5.
The former couple owns another lavish mansion in the same neighborhood, which they bought for $14.2 million shortly after Westcott tried to back out of the sale of his home.
That property, which records show is solely in Perry’s name, has undergone major renovations over the past five years.
It is unclear whether Bloom played a role in the lawsuit against Westcott. However, the actor has largely tried to stay out of the fray when it comes to the legal battle.
Westcott’s legal team previously failed in their attempts to convince the judge to call Bloom as a witness, claiming he should be asked to testify about the repairs the singer said needed to be made to the house.
However, the judge in the case shut down that request, emphasizing that the lawyers only had to rely on testimony from the contractors involved in the trial, while accusing the legal team of trying to turn the trial into a “celebrity circus.”
“Why do you need Mr. Bloom for that, other than to make it a celebrity circus?” Judge Lipner asked Westcott’s attorneys during an Aug. 1 hearing Rolling stone. “Why don’t you just talk to the builder who actually did it?”
Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzeneggerwere then dragged into the legal saga, when it was reported that they moved into the Montecito property after renting it from Perry and Bloom.
The couple, who are in the process of building a custom complex in Brentwood, are said to have borrowed the Montecito property to use while they wait for their new home to be completed.
Westcott’s attorneys had asked the judge at the August hearing to question Pratt about the condition of the home when he moved in, according to Fox News– noting that he was able to provide key evidence to undermine Perry’s claims that significant damage was done before she officially took ownership of the property.
The lawyers also pointed out that Pratt and his wife have been closely associated with the property since Perry first expressed interest in it, drawing attention to the fact that she became embroiled in a bidding war with Schwarzenegger’s mother. Mary Shriverwho also wanted to buy the house.
