In a courtroom battle staged via Zoom on the fifth birthday of their daughter, pop star Katy Perry insisted that she and Orlando Bloom remain 'family for life' as she seeks 'justice' in a dispute over her £11.8 million ($15 million) Montecito mansion.
This high-stakes legal drama stems from a 2020 purchase from ex-Army veteran and entrepreneur Carl Westcott, now aged 85, who claims he lacked the mental capacity to sell.
Perry, whose business manager Bernie Gudvi legally represented her in the deal, triumphed in a 2023 verdict affirming her ownership. Now, she faces a second trial, this time pursuing over £3.8 million ($4.8 million) in damages for rental losses and property repairs. The emotional testimony unfolded amid questions about empathy, celebrity privilege and whether justice will prevail.
Westcott's Capacity Claim and Initial Verdict
The dispute began shortly after Perry and Bloom agreed to buy the estate in 2020. Westcott, who suffers from Huntington's disease, alleged that post-surgical painkillers rendered him mentally unfit to finalise the mark-up sale.
His legal challenge aimed to rescind the contract. Yet, in December 2023, a judge ruled the evidence insufficient to void the deal, allowing Perry to take full ownership in May 2024.
On Tuesday, 26 August 2025, Perry testified remotely during the damages phase of the case. Confronted with questions about what she stood to gain, she responded simply: 'Justice'. She went on to say: 'I stand to lose money if it doesn't work in my favour', referencing legal costs and strained rental income.
She is now pursuing approximately £3.8 million ($5.10 million) in compensation, encompassing lost rental income and extraordinary maintenance costs.
Despite announcing the end of their engagement in June 2025, Perry stressed her relationship with Bloom remains anchored in co-parenting and mutual respect. When questioned about their partnership, she replied: 'We're family for life'.
The remark punctuates a day of high emotion: Perry's testimony coincided with their daughter Daisy Dove's fifth birthday, a coincidence not lost on the public.
Chris Pratt, Sympathy and Sensationalism
Actor Chris Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger are renting the property, bolstering Westcott's claim that the house was habitable, contrary to Perry's allegations of disrepair. His tenancy, they argue, contradicts Perry's assertion that the property suffered defects enough to justify damages.
Meanwhile, Westcott's family has criticised Perry's legal tactics as lacking empathy, calling her behaviour 'greedy' and 'unforgivable'. They've further lamented that the trial contradicts their father's declining health and desire for peace.
Judge Limits Celebrity Circus
Judge Joseph Lipner has taken steps to limit sensationalism. He ruled that Bloom need not testify, deeming it redundant despite the property being held in an LLC linked to him.
The judge also criticised Perry's legal team for attempting to advance her testimony at short notice, calling the tactic 'outrageous' and 'not nice'. He barred further trial delays after multiple continuance requests from the Westcott side.
The outcome now rests with Judge Lipner in a bench trial setting: no jury, no public verdict. Legal experts note that Perry's credibility and courtroom demeanour, the 'human nature' of her testimony, may carry as much weight as the sums involved.
