PHOTO: Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s $15 Million Real Estate Deal Leads to Three-Year Legal Battle
In 2020, Katy Perry acustom jersey custom softball jerseys custom basketball cheap wigs nike air jordan black custom uniforms cheap adidas shoes cheap wigs adidas for sale wig stores nfl apparel design jerseys adidas for sale custom jersey maker basketball baseball jerseys custom d Orlando Bloom entered into a $15 million agreement to purchase a mansion in Santa Barbara, California, setting the stage for a prolonged legal dispute that will finally see its day in a Los Angeles courtroom, with the trial scheduled to commence on September 27.
Why are Katy and Orlando Heading to Trial? The lawsuit involves two key parties: 83-year-old entrepreneur Carl Westcott, the founder of businesses including 1-800-Flowers, and the couple’s business manager, Bernie Gudvi. Westcott alleges that the sale of the property to the celebrity duo, orchestrated by Gudvi, occurred while he was recovering from surgery and under the influence of “intoxicating pain-killing opiates,” rendering him “of unsound mind,” as per court documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. When Westcott attempted to retract from the deal a week later, Katy Perry, 38, and Orlando Bloom, 46, although not formally named as defendants in the suit, reportedly opposed his withdrawal.
The core of the dispute revolves around whether Westcott was in a fit mental state to finalize the sale of the 9,300-square-foot Santa Barbara mansion. Westcott, an Army veteran, had recently undergone a lengthy back surgery, and he claims that he was “intoxicated” at the time of signing the real estate contract in July 2020, citing both the effects of the surgery and his frailty due to advanced age and Huntington’s disease.
Just a week after signing the agreement for the sprawling property boasting eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, Westcott asserts that he regained mental clarity and attempted to rescind the deal. Allegedly, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom replied that they were committed to the purchase and that Westcott was legally obligated to proceed.
Westcott, who also alleges that Gudvi failed to deliver a $450,000 check from Bloom and Perry within the stipulated three-day period, is seeking the cancellation of the sale and reimbursement for legal expenses.
CELEBRITY: Inside the Katy Perry Convent That Sparked a Real Estate War: Never-Before-Seen Photos
As per the Los Angeles Times, it remains unclear who currently occupies the house. Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom acquired another property in nearby Montecito several months after this transaction, a 7,200-square-foot residence with six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. At the time of the purchase, reports indicated that Perry, who grew up in Santa Barbara, was enthusiastic about raising their daughter, Daisy Dove, in Montecito, given its rich history and scenic ocean view.
What We Know About the Upcoming Trial Originally scheduled for August 21, the trial’s start date has been postponed to September 27. The proceedings will take place at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, which gained notoriety as the location for Britney Spears’s conservatorship hearings. This will be a non-jury trial, with Judge Lipner presiding over the case.
Both parties are expected to submit their pretrial witness and exhibit lists by September 8, while the final conference before the hearing is set for September 15.
It remains uncertain whether Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom will be present in court to support their business manager during the trial.
Not Katy Perry’s First Real Estate Feud In 2014, Katy Perry found herself embroiled in another real estate controversy when she sought to purchase a convent in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, for $14.5 million. However, this endeavor turned into a protracted legal battle with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Archbishop José Gómez, representing the L.A. Catholic Archdiocese, authorized the sale without the sisters’ consent, leading to a dispute over ownership. The sisters had initially bought the property for $600,000, with financial assistance from the seller.
Two of the five nuns still residing in the convent, Sisters Catherine Rose Holzman and Rita Callanan, declined to sell to Perry, considering it a “sin.” Perry, coming from a family of evangelical Christian preachers, met with the nuns and attempted to persuade them by singing “Oh Happy Day” and showcasing her Jesus tattoo. Nevertheless, the nuns made their own deal with restaurateur and developer Dana Hollister.
The archdiocese and Perry filed lawsuits against Hollister, eventually invalidating her purchase in 2015. In 2017, a jury ruled that Hollister had intentionally interfered with Perry’s legitimate purchase and ordered her to pay $6.5 million in damages to Perry and the archdiocese. Due to the legal battle, Hollister found herself in bankruptcy court in 2018, and tragically, one of the supporting nuns, Holzman, passed away in the courtroom. Consequently, the sale of the property fell through.
SOURCE: YAHOO