Katy Perry’s legal victory as judge orders disabled veteran to pay singer nearly $2m over Montecito mansion

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Katy Perry has won a legal battle with a disabled veteran, Carl Westcott, and been awarded almost $2 million. The case centered around the $15 million Montecito home she bought from him five years ago.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I just saw this and I’m FREAKING OUT! Judge Lipner officially ruled that Katy Perry deserves $1,842,142.84! I mean, the courts finally recognized her worth! I saw the documents – it’s all official! I’m so happy for her, she totally deserves every single penny!

The final amount was calculated by taking the total rental value the property earned while the sale was delayed – over $2.7 million – and subtracting both the company’s retained capital (over $1 million) and the interest lost by Westcott, which totaled almost $150,000.

The judge also lowered the repair costs Perry requested to $259,581.84, which was an amount Westcott had already proposed.

Okay, let’s break down this complicated sale. Basically, when Perry bought her property for $15 million, her business manager, Bernie Gudvi, handled the payment. He paid the seller, Westcott, $9 million upfront, and held onto $6 million. Now, Westcott originally sued Gudvi, claiming Perry actually owed him $6 million of that original $15 million. It seems Gudvi is now able to claim a $1.8 million deduction from that remaining $6 million, which is… a lot to unpack! It’s a complicated financial situation, but that’s the gist of what happened with the money.

Gudvi is responsible for writing the official decision. He will have a chance to dispute it at a hearing scheduled for December 30th, as reported by People magazine.

The dispute over the house started in 2020 when the 41-year-old singer purchased it from the founder of 1-800-Flowers. However, just days later, the singer attempted to cancel the deal, arguing that pain medication had impaired his judgment when he signed the contract.

When he changed his mind about the deal, it led to a lawsuit regarding the sale of the large, luxurious home—which boasts eight bedrooms and eleven bathrooms—in the exclusive neighborhood where celebrities like Meghan Markle and Oprah Winfrey live.

In May 2024, the judge sided with Perry, determining that Westcott was mentally competent and hadn’t provided sufficient proof he was unable to understand and agree to the real estate contract.

The judge’s ruling comes in response to court documents Perry filed just days earlier. 

According to documents obtained by Daily Mail, Perry claims Westcott is responsible for both missing rental income and the cost of repairs to the mansion.

Katy Perry is asking a court to order her former business partner, Westcott, to pay her nearly $4.7 million to cover losses she claims resulted from a lengthy legal battle over a property sale.

Shortly after the deal closed, Westcott first filed a lawsuit against Bernie Gudvi, who managed Perry’s business.

Lawyers for the singer, who previously owned the property with Orlando Bloom, claim she is owed $3.525 million in rental income lost because of the long-running dispute with Westcott.

According to court documents, Westcott owes the Santa Barbara resident $1,343,401.95 to cover the cost of repairs, bringing the total amount owed to $4,868,401.95, her lawyer stated.

Perry’s legal team stated that after subtracting Westcott’s losses of $149,703, the remaining amount was $4,718,698.95.

Westcott’s lawyers argue that, financially, Perry is the one who owes money, not them.

According to Westcott’s legal team, Perry still needs to pay $6 million out of the $15 million purchase price for the property.

According to court documents filed on November 7th in Los Angeles, Westcott’s lawyer claims Perry has only paid $9 million so far.

Westcott’s lawyers stated he was willing to reduce the total amount owed to $5,740,418.18 by covering the repair costs.

In August, Perry explained in a virtual court appearance to a Los Angeles court how she bought the 2.5-acre property.

During the trial, the lawyer for Westcott, Andrew J. Thomas, directly asked me if I stood to personally benefit financially – or in any way – from how the case turned out. It felt like he was questioning whether I had anything to gain from the results, and I was honestly taken aback.

The singer replied, ‘Yes … justice; I stand to lose money if it does not work in my favor.’

Since her breakup with Orlando Bloom, Perry has been rumored to be dating Canada’s former Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

Katy Perry and the politician were first spotted together in late July while having dinner at Le Violon in Montreal.

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2025-11-27 05:19