After a four-year legal battle, Katy Perry may have to face the family of Carl Westcott, 84, in court.
The Woman’s World singer has been feuding with the disabled pensioner since 2020 after she bought his mansion in Montecito, California for $15,000,000.
Westcott, who has Huntington’s disease among other illnesses, claimed he was unwell when he signed the eight-bedroom property because of painkillers.
A judge previously ruled in favor of Perry and her husband Orlando Bloom, but the dispute is not over as the 39-year-old is now hoping for a discount from Westcott.
She is seeking to knock $6,000,000 off the award, claiming the octogenarian — who is receiving hospice care — owes her for lost rent and repairs to the property.
In this latest installment of the ‘exhausting’ battle, Perry will have to face Westcott’s entire family in LA Superior Court, according to the Daily Mail.
A judge ruled that the ET singer must testify in the damages trial, forcing her into the courtroom in front of her furious family.
“It’s glaringly obvious that they’re trying to squeeze every last dollar out of Carl’s family,” a family friend told the paper.
“The fact is the Westcott family wants her to face them because they believe she deserves it. She took their father’s house.
“The least he can do is look them all in the eye.
The lawyers argued that Westcott “failed to understand the nature and likely consequences of his actions,” but Perry won the ownership dispute.
Perry and Bloom apparently wrote a personal letter to Westcott after the sale, thanking him for selling the house.
They are said to have discussed how the mansion was somewhere they could live as a family and hoped to raise their then-unborn daughter, which Westcott’s son said conflicted with her claim to a rental listing on the property.
As of May, the 9,285-square-foot compound has been registered under DDoveB, a nod to Perry’s daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, 3.
The singer is believed to have put $9 million into escrow to pay Westcott, but will dispute the remaining balance after sending 25 experts to assess the home.
A trial date had been set for this month, but the U.S. Army veteran, who made his money by starting companies like 1-800-Flowers, pleaded for more time.
Water damage, an oak tree falling on the building and various other maintenance issues reportedly occurred while Perry and Bloom were waiting to move in.
The celebrity couple are believed to be seeking around $3.5 million in lost rent and are expected to be called for evidence, although they are likely to rely on experts.
Judge Joseph Lipner insisted: “As I sit here now, I certainly expect Ms. Perry to be a witness.”
Four days before he signed the keys, Westcott underwent six hours of back surgery and took a cocktail of opioids and painkillers to recover.
He claimed this contributed to him selling the property and tried to back out of the contract within a week.
In the first part of the dispute, the judge concluded: “There are no grounds for withdrawing from the contract. The contract must be honored.’
Speaking to the New York Post at the time of the sentencing, Westcott’s son Chart said, “Where a judge’s decision can follow the letter of the law, it shows that the law has no spirit.
“Katy Perry will now have to testify in person to accept her ‘damages.’ We look forward to her testimony.
“We hope Ms. Perry enjoys her Pyrrhic victory. Finally, we wish the judge would spell our father’s name correctly.’
Metro.co.uk has approached Perry’s representative for comment.
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