Katy Perry Scores Major Legal Victory in Recent Lawsuit
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Katy Perry has some good news to celebrate in regards to the ongoing legal battle over her Montecito property.
The "Firework" singer previously purchased the $15 million mansion from Carl Westcott back in 2020 in the hopes of making it a family home for her and fiancé Orlando Bloom to raise their 3-year-old daughter Daisy Dove. But things took a wrong turn when Westcott claimed in a lawsuit against Perry's business manager, Bernie Gudvi, that he was mentally incapacitated when he sold the home, and therefore wanted to rescind the deal.
Now, over a month after the suit went to trial in September, the court has ruled in Perry's favor for the first part of the case.
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Westcott was of sound mind when he sold the home, according to a report from PEOPLE.
"Wescott presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked capacity to enter into a real estate contract," the decision from the court read.
Perry's attorney, Eric Rowen, shared a statement with the publication after hearing the court's ruling. "Today's proposed decision is clear—the judge found that Mr. Westcott could not prove anything other than he was of perfectly sound mind when he engaged in complex negotiations over several weeks with multiple parties to transact a lucrative sale of the property that netted him a substantial profit," the attorney stated.
But Perry's legal woes are not over yet, as she also is expected to testify in court over a countersuit she lodged against Westcott for damages. According to Bloomberg Law, the entertainer is seeking $2.7 million to cover the cost of a similar rental in the area, as well as $3.21 million in damages for lost rent that she could have earned if the sale went through.
The case was bifurcated by the judge, with the second part of the case expected to take place in front of a non-jury trial in the coming months.
"The evidence shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract for no other reason than he had changed his mind," Perry's attorney added to PEOPLE. "We look forward to wrapping this matter up at the scheduled damage trial phase set for February 13 and 14, if not before."
Following the judge's ruling on Wednesday, Westcott's son, Chart Westcott made a statement to the outlet, stating, "While we do not agree with Judge Lipner’s ruling and wish he had spelled our father’s name correctly in his ruling, we accept it. Katy Perry will now have to testify, in person, on damages and the contradictory claims she has made over lost income for the rental of my father’s home."
"While this has been a long road, the fight for my father is not over and we will continue to represent him and his legacy of incredible achievements," Westcott's son added.
Next: Katy Perry's Daughter Daisy Dove's First Public Appearance at Las Vegas Show: Video
