Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom win three-year legal battle against disabled veteran who sold them a Montecito home for $15 million while he was on painkillers – judge says he was of sound mind

Pop star Katy Perry and her husband Orlando Bloom have won a three-year legal battle against a disabled veteran over the sale of his $15 million Montecito home.

In July 2020, Carl Westcott, 84, signed a real estate contract in which he agreed to sell the 20-acre Santa Barbara estate to Perry, but later claimed he was under the influence of opioids and painkillers after major back surgery.

Westcott, who suffers from Huntington’s disease, said he only realized what he had signed when the effects of the painkillers wore off days later and tried to cancel the contract at that point.

But a Los Angeles judge ruled in favor of the famous couple on Wednesday.

According to PeopleLos Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner said, “Westcott has not presented compelling evidence that he was incompetent to enter into a real estate contract.”

In a statement to Rolling stonePerry’s lawyer Eric Rowen said: ‘The evidence shows that Mr Westcott breached the contract for no other reason than that he had a change of heart.

“We look forward to concluding this matter during the planned damages trial phase scheduled for February 13 and 14, if not sooner.”

In the ruling, Rolling Stone also reported that Judge Lipner noted that Westcott’s own medical expert was inconsistent in his testimony about his condition.

Perry has also sought millions of dollars in lost rent from Westcott that they could have charged for the eight-bedroom home.

Westcott is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne and is known for owning several successful companies, most notably 1-800-Flowers.

Westcott was 80 years old at the time of the sale and had been suffering from Huntington’s disease since 2015.

The rare disease affects parts of the brain that control voluntary movements, with dementia being one of the symptoms.

According to Westcott’s original complaint, he never put the property up for sale or spoke to a real estate agent about putting the 9,285-square-foot home on the market.

Westcott had purchased the home in May 2020 and had moved in with Perry just two months prior to the sale.

He planned to live there as his primary residence “for the rest of his life,” the complaint said.

On July 11, 2020, Westcott was released from the hospital after six hours of major back surgery.

Three days later, on July 14, Bernie Gudvi, who represented Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, presented Westcott with the written offer, which was more money than he paid for the house on May 29, 2020.

The next day, Westcott signed the document prepared by the brokerage firm.

But his lawyers argued that Westcott was “incapable of understanding the nature and likely consequences of his actions.”

Days later, Westcott “began to feel mentally clear again” and realized the weight of his signature on the sales agreement, the complaint said.

On July 22, Westcott sent an email to Berkshire Hathaway, the double agent for the seller and the buyer, saying he did not want to sell his house.

In it he described how he had been under the influence of pain medication and said he was ‘in the last years of his life and cannot sell his house’.

Speaking to the New York PostWestcott’s son Chart told the newspaper: ‘Where the judge’s ruling follows the letter of the law, it shows that the law has no spirit.

“Katy Perry will now have to testify in person to receive her ‘compensation.’ We look forward to her testimony and to facing possible sanctions for perjury.

“Perry has pigeonholed herself by claiming that she has lost rental income for years and is owed damages, which contradicts her affidavits that she wants to continue living in the house.

“We hope Ms. Perry enjoys her pyrrhic victory as she explains to her fans that she has taken homes from the elderly twice. Finally, we wish the judge had spelled our father’s name correctly.”

Perry and Bloom had written a personal letter to Westcott after selling the property in 2020.

In it they said: ‘As you know we are expecting a baby next month and we know this is the best place to bring her home and raise her.’

The heartfelt comment from ‘Katy and Orlando’ continued: ‘This home will be a getaway, a home where we can grow together as a family.

‘We have experienced a number of challenges over the past week, our beloved dog Mighty has passed away. With such devastating news, if we are the lucky people who purchased your home, it is a shining light to help us through this difficult time.

‘We hope you can appreciate that you are handing over your home to a very loving couple, who are expecting their first baby and have nothing but joy at the thought of making their lives and future memories there.’

Westcott’s family has previously slammed the couple for “targeting the weak” over their lawsuit.

His son said: ‘(Westcott) is in a vulnerable state and they have attacked and deceived him.’

This isn’t the first time Katy Perry has run into legal trouble buying a house.

In 2015, she had an argument with older Roman Catholic nuns over the sale of a convent.

Perry purchased the building in 2015, paying $14.5 million in cash to Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez.

Sister Rita Callanan and Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, who had lived at the convent since the 1970s, claimed Gomez had no right to transfer the property, saying they had sold it weeks earlier for $15.5 million.

But the Archdiocese of Los Angeles sued to block their deal, arguing that it was the nuns who had overstepped their authority.

A judge ruled against the nuns in 2016, awarding Perry and the archdiocese damages totaling more than $15 million.

During the 2018 legal battle, Sister Holzman, 89, collapsed and died during a court case.

Sister Callanan, the only surviving nun of the Order of the Most Sacred and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said at the time that Katy Perry “has blood on her hands.”