Pop star Katy Perry has won from the filing of a lawsuit against an 85-year-old disabled veteran who is terminally ill, escalating a property dispute in Montecito, California.
The dispute dates back to 2020, when Katy Perry and then-partner Orlando Bloom bought Carl Westcott’s eight-bedroom Montecito estate. They urged him to accept their offer, saying they were expecting a baby and felt the home was the perfect place to raise her. Days after the sale, Westcott, now 86, tried to withdraw, claiming he lacked the mental capacity to agree to the contract because he was on pain medication following back surgery.
A judge ruled in 2023 that Westcott did not prove he was mentally unable to consent to the sale. Perry’s legal team also claimed he may have been considering a backup offer from Maria Shriver, the former wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“The singer then countersued for $3.25 million, claiming losses from being unable to lease the property during the court battle, plus $2.2 million for alleged repair work to restore the home and $3 million in legal costs,” per the Post.
As time passed, Westcott became bedridden with Huntington’s disease, which severely impaired his cognitive abilities, and he now receives 24-hour hospice care. His son, Court Westcott, says the legal battle has taken a serious toll on his father’s health.
“The optics of a millionaire pop star demanding hefty damages from a very ill man are terrible,” PR strategist Abesi Manyando 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.”
Perry won her lawsuit over the Montecito mansion, with a judge ordering the disabled veteran to pay $1.8 million in damages.
Katy Perry is suing a disabled veteran for nearly $5 million in damages.
Details: https://t.co/tJ3Fjh52eO pic.twitter.com/1sF1UT2JF1
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 27, 2025
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