International pop star Katy Perry can now go ahead with her $15 million purchase of a mansion in Montecito, California, after a judge ruled in her favor last week, bringing a three-year-long legal battle to a close.
Los Angeles Judge Joseph Linger on November 7 ruled that Perry and her fiance, Orlando Bloom, should be able to purchase the $15 million Montecito estate after finding insufficient evidence that the owner, 84-year-old Carl Westcott, was of "unsound mind" when he sold the property. The entrepreneur previously sold the estate but attempted to rescind the deal, claiming he lacked the capacity to enter into a sales contract when the couple bought the house in 2021.
"[Westcott] presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked the capacity to enter into a real estate contract," the court decision read, per USA Today. "Moreover, (Westcott) entered into other contracts shortly before and shortly after the contact at issue here. Westcott has not attempted to rescind any of these other contracts for lack of capacity."
Purchasing the Montecito Mansion
In the summer of 2020, Perry, who, at the time, was pregnant with her first child with Bloom, was looking for a family home in the Montecito area. Bernie Gudvi, Perry's business manager, presented a written offer to Wescott for his home despite it not being in the market. In July of the same year, Westcott signed a contract with Gudvi to sell the mansion for $15 million.
Within days after the contract signing, Westcott attempted to rescind the sale and claimed he was not of sound mind when the deal took place. In August 2020, Westcott filed a suit against Gudvi.
In legal documents filed by Westcott and obtained by PEOPLE, he argued that he was under the influence of painkillers and was recovering from spinal surgery when the deal was made. He also argued that he was suffering from Huntington's Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2015.
What Comes Next
The judge's ruling has put an end to the first part of the legal battle between Perry and Westcott. A second part of the case regarding damages sustained due to the latter's breach of contract will go to trial in February. Perry is expected to testify in the non-jury trial. Her legal team is seeking an additional $2.67 million in damages from Westcott, according to the New York Post.
