Perry testifies she wants “justice” as $15 million Montecito estate suit unfolds
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
27 August 2025
Katy Perry took the stand via Zoom on August 26, presenting herself not just as a pop icon but as a deeply invested litigant in the courtroom drama centering on a $15 million Montecito mansion. The real estate in question was purchased in 2020 by Perry and her then-fiancé Orlando Bloom from Carl Westcott, an 85-year-old entrepreneur battling Huntington’s disease. Westcott has since argued that he lacked the mental capacity to agree to the sale due to his illness and medications, but a judge in 2023 ruled he was lucid and intentionally entered the contract sealing Perry’s legal ownership of the sprawling property.
As the trial entered its second phase focused on damages Perry faced pointed inquiry about her motivations and what she stood to gain. When asked directly what she hoped to achieve in this case, her response was unvarnished and precise: “Justice.” Yet she acknowledged the financial implications, confirming that if the outcome didn’t favor her, she could lose significant money in legal fees and foregone rental income.
Represented nominally by her business manager Bernie Gudvi, Perry is seeking upwards of $6 million in damages, including $3 million attributed to lost rental income since disputes over the property have limited its usability. Perry and Bloom had made the home available for rent in early 2025, but whether they ever lived there remains uncertain.
The lawsuit's personal dimension was particularly poignant given that Perry’s testimony occurred on her daughter Daisy Dove’s fifth birthday another reminder that amid public drama, her priorities also stretch to family life.
Adding drama to an already high-stakes legal setting, actor Chris Pratt and his wife have been renting the Montecito home. Their tenancy could undercut Perry’s claims about the property’s condition, so attorneys for Westcott may seek Pratt’s testimony though he has not yet been called to the stand.
Meanwhile, Westcott’s family has voiced disappointment over the emotional toll of the litigation, though some have suggested that Perry might bridge empathy with progress particularly if she were to apologize for the prolonged process.
In court, the judge has confined inquiries into Orlando Bloom’s private life, underscoring that the case remains firmly in the realm of contractual disputes and financial damages. Still, Perry subtly rooted their relationship in permanence, describing Bloom as “family for life.”
The case now hinges on the bench trial's final weeks, with Judge Joseph Lipner set to issue the verdict. Beyond value figures and real estate law, this chapter exposes how legal battles can expose vulnerabilities, blur the lines between public and private, and hold even global stars to deeply human stakes.
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