Katy Perry is suing an 85-year-old dying, disabled veteran over a long-standing property dispute.
She is demanding $5 million (AU$7.74 million) in a lawsuit against former army serviceman Carl Westcott.
The dispute began in July 2020, when the US pop star and her ex Orlando Bloom bought an eight-bedroom estate from the army veteran.
In a note to Wescott at the time, the Hollywood pair begged him to accept their offer, as they were expecting their daughter and believed the $15 million (AU$23.23 million) Montecito, California home was the perfect place to raise her.
Within days of the sale, the veteran wanted to withdraw from the deal, arguing that he lacked the mental capacity to fully understand the contract when he signed, as he was on pain medication following a back surgery.
In December 2023, a judge ruled in the singer’s favour, as Wescott did not provide enough evidence to convince the judge that he was incapable of consenting. According to Katy’s lawyer, he also had a backup offer from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife, Maria Shriver.
The singer then filed a countersuit seeking $3.25 million (A$5.03 million) for income lost while the property sat idle during the dispute, along with $2.2 million (A$3.41 million) for alleged repair costs and a further $3 million (about A$4.65 million) in legal fees.
At that point, Westcott was bedridden and living with Huntington’s disease, and is now receiving around-the-clock care, and Wescott’s son even spoke out about how the lawsuit has affect his father’s health.
The singer has demanded $5 million, arguing that the prolonged legal battle over the property caused significant financial damage.
“The optics of a millionaire pop star demanding hefty damages from a very ill man are terrible,” Abesi Manyando, a PR strategist based in the US told The Telegraph.
“This isn’t just a lawsuit, it’s now a David and Goliath narrative – a global superstar with wealth, legal resources and leverage versus an elderly, declining veteran who already lost his home. And that dynamic carries emotional weight.”
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