Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have emerged victorious in their ongoing legal battle over a lavish Montecito, California mansion previously owned by a disabled veteran Carl Westcott, as a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday in their favor.
In a verdict expected to become permanent after a 10-day waiting period, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner found that Westcott had no substantial evidence to support his claim that he lacked the mental capacity to enter into a contract for the property, which the couple bought for $14.2 million in 2021.
“This proposed decision is crystal clear — the judge has concluded that Mr. Westcott was in full possession of his faculties when he engaged in complex negotiations with multiple parties to finalize the lucrative sale of the property, which ultimately brought him a substantial profit,” declared Eric Rowen, attorney for Katy Perry, in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract simply because he changed his mind. We eagerly anticipate resolving this matter during the scheduled damage trial phase set for February 13 and 14, if not sooner,” he added, hinting at the next legal chapter.
Westcott’s son, Chart Westcott, told The Post: “Where the judge’s ruling may follow the letter of the law, it shows that the law has no spirit. Katy Perry will now have to testify, in person, to receive her ‘damages.’”
“We look forward to her testimony, and to her being confronted with possible sanctions for perjury. Perry has put herself in a box by claiming that she lost years of rental income and is owed damages, which is counter to her sworn statements about wanting to live in the house. We hope Ms. Perry enjoys her pyrrhic victory, as she explains to her fans about twice taking homes from the elderly. Lastly, we wish the judge had spelled our father’s name correctly,” Chart added.
The breach of contract trial that led to this judgment was marked by Westcott’s attorney’s assertion that his client was suffering from a degenerative brain disease, symptoms of dementia, post-operative delirium, and the effects of painkillers following a back surgery when he agreed to sell his property to Perry in July 2020.
The 83-year-old had moved into the home just two months before Perry, 38, and Bloom, 46, bought the 8.9-acre estate.
According to court documents obtained by The Post, Westcott claims that a July 14, 2020 contract for the sale of his home was done when he “lacked the mental capacity to understand the nature and probable consequences of the contract.”
Westcott, who served in the US Army as a 101st Airborne service member, had purchased the home that May 29 with the intent to live in there “for the rest of his life,” court documents state.
He claimed that due to his age, poor health from Huntington’s disease (a deadly brain disorder), and “a major six-hour surgery less than a week before the proposed contract,” it had “seriously impaired [his] mental faculties to the point he was of unsound mind and not competent to give his free, voluntary, or intelligent consent to the contract.”
About a week after the contract was signed, on July 22, 2020, Westcott said he started to “feel mentally clear again,” after the opiates from his surgery wore off — and sent a letter to the real estate agency representing the property.
However, Judge Lipner’s preliminary ruling questioned the consistency of Westcott’s own medical expert’s testimony regarding the retired entrepreneur’s condition at the time he initiated negotiations with Perry.
“While Dr. Gary Small testified towards the end of direct examination that he believed Westcott lacked the capacity to contract on July 15 and July 18, 2020, he failed to provide a compelling explanation of how he reached that conclusion,” the judge noted.
“Dr. Small’s testimony did not provide a sufficient basis for the court to conclude that Westcott lacked the competence to sign the sales contract.”
When the initial contract case went to trial on Sept. 27, Perry faced criticism online for seemingly attempting to evict an elderly, and infirm, man from his home against his wishes.
In response, Perry’s legal team argued that Westcott had recently purchased the stunning estate just six weeks before finalizing the deal with Perry’s representative, Bernie Gudvi.
According to their argument, Westcott actively pursued negotiations with Perry, rejected her initial offer of $13.5 million, and signed a counteroffer for $15 million on July 15, 2020.
He even organized a tour of his property for Perry on July 17, 2020, agreed to extend the deadline for his counteroffer when the initial deadline passed, and criticized his agent for requesting a 5% commission.
The $15 million deal was ultimately sealed on behalf of Perry on July 18, 2020, successfully securing the coveted Montecito mansion for Perry and her family.
In a letter dated 2020, Perry, 38, and Bloom, 46, penned words of familial bliss to Westcott, stating, “As you know we are expecting a baby next month and know this will be the best place to bring her home to and raise her in.” They spoke of the home as a sanctuary where they would “grow together as a family.”
According to court documents previously obtained by The Post, the celebrity duo’s true motive was not to settle down — but to cash in.
Perry’s legal team recently sought an additional $2.67 million in damages from Westcott for holding up their ownership of the home, citing their inability to rent the house, which included unpaid cable bills.
It appears they had visions of turning the estate into a money-making venture through monthly rentals, according to court docs. This argument contradicts her earlier statement that the estate was intended for personal residence.
Still, despite Perry’s legal win, she is expected to testify at the upcoming damage trial phase, where the final chapter in this high-profile real estate saga will come to an end.
The case is reminiscent of the 2015 legal suit Perry was involved in with Catholic nuns known as the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary located in Los Feliz.
Fifty-two sisters had first purchased their structure back in 1972 and lived there until 2011 when just five sisters remained, and they were forced to relocate.
But the Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez insisted the medieval Spanish-Gothic-Tudor estate go to Katy Perry, who was willing to pay for the property in cash.
In 2016, a judge ruled against the nuns and Perry was granted the home.
Following a yearslong battle, the feud came to a halt in 2018, when Sister Catherine Rose Holzman — who was among the nuns battling Perry and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — was in court for a post-judgment hearing related to the case when she collapsed and died in court. She was 89.
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