Pop star Katy Perry has explained why she is continuing her legal battle against Carl Westcott, an 85-year-old US veteran, from whom she is seeking millions of dollars in damages. At a hearing in Los Angeles, the 40-year-old singer stressed that this issue is not just about money, writes LADbible.
Perry has been embroiled in the lawsuit since 2020, when she bought a large Santa Barbara mansion from Westcott for $15 million (€12.8 million). She and then-fiancé Orlando Bloom had planned to raise their daughter, Daisy Dove, there. But shortly after the deal was finalized, Westcott changed his mind and sought to cancel the contract.
The veteran, who had bought the villa himself just two months earlier for $11 million (€9.4 million), claimed he was not “of sound mind” during the sale process. He suffers from Huntington’s disease, an inherited condition that affects movement, thinking and mood. According to court documents, he had undergone surgery shortly before the sale and was under the influence of several strong medications. For this reason, he asked that the contract be declared invalid.
However, the court ruled in favor of the famous couple. According to the judge, the evidence showed that at the time of signing the agreement, Westcott was "sober, focused and rational." In May of last year, the property was legally transferred to a company owned by Katy Perry.
But the legal battle didn't end there. The singer filed a lawsuit against Westcott, seeking $3.25 million (€2.79 million) in damages for not being able to rent out the villa from September 2020 to March 2024. In addition, she is seeking another $2.29 million (€1.96 million), arguing that the 836-square-meter property should be restored to its original condition.
In a session held via Zoom, Perry was asked if she would gain “money or something else” from this process. She replied: “Yes... justice.”
When Westcott's lawyer asked her directly about the money, the singer said, "If the case doesn't go in my favor, I lose. I could lose money, pay lawyers, lose rental income - all of it."
It was also revealed in court that Westcott had only received $9 million (€7.7 million) of the sale price, while his lawyer asked who would pay the rest. Perry replied: "It could be a combination of me and Orlando. We are family for life."
Meanwhile, Perry and Bloom announced their split in July, stating that they had changed their relationship in recent months to focus on co-parenting. They stressed that raising their daughter with love and respect will always remain their top priority. /Telegraph/
