Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s Montecito mansion saga has finally reached a decisive moment, drawing a close to a years-long legal battle that’s been as dramatic as any Hollywood script. The pop superstar and her ex-fiancé, both household names, have been fighting for ownership of a sprawling California estate since 2020, when their $15 million purchase from Carl Westcott, an elderly veteran and entrepreneur, was suddenly thrown into question. Now, after a lengthy courtroom tug-of-war and swirling public debate, a judge has ruled in Perry’s favor, awarding her nearly $1.8 million in damages for lost rental income and repairs—a far cry from the $5 million she initially sought, but a substantial sum nonetheless.
It all started back in July 2020, when Perry and Bloom set their sights on an eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom estate in Montecito, California, a coastal enclave known for its celebrity residents and breathtaking ocean views. According to PEOPLE and FandomWire, the couple approached Carl Westcott, a former Army serviceman and the founder of 1-800-Flowers, to purchase his property. They reportedly told Westcott that they needed the home to raise their young daughter, Daisy Dove, who was just a baby at the time. The deal was finalized in August 2020, with Perry’s business manager, Bernie Gudvi, handling the transaction on her behalf.
But just days after the ink dried, the plot thickened. Westcott, then 85 and suffering from Huntington’s Disease—a rare, inherited brain disorder diagnosed in 2015—attempted to rescind the deal, claiming he had lacked the mental capacity to agree to the sale. He filed suit against Gudvi, sparking a protracted legal fight that would span nearly five years. The case quickly drew national attention, with headlines asking whether Perry was really suing a dying veteran for millions—a narrative that echoed her earlier, much-publicized dispute with two elderly nuns over a Los Angeles convent.
In court, Westcott’s legal team argued that his diagnosis left him unable to fully comprehend the implications of the transaction. But Judge Joseph Lipner of the Superior Court of the State of California in Los Angeles County wasn’t convinced. As reported by PEOPLE, the judge found “no persuasive evidence” to support Westcott’s claims, noting that he appeared “coherent, engaged, lucid and rational” at the time of the sale. The judge’s ruling effectively affirmed Perry’s right to the property, which she officially gained ownership of in May 2024.
Even as the ownership question was settled, another dispute simmered beneath the surface: compensation for the years Perry and Bloom were unable to use or rent out their new home. The singer, who is currently on her Lifetimes Tour and was scheduled to perform in Shanghai on November 26, 2025, initially requested nearly $5 million in damages, according to court documents seen by PEOPLE. She claimed $3,525,000 in lost rental value and another $1,343,401.95 for “necessary repairs.”
On November 25, 2025, Judge Lipner delivered his decision. He determined that Perry was owed a total of $1,842,142.84—an amount that included $2,795,000 for the rental value of the property from September 2020 through March 31, 2024, minus the value of retained capital ($1,062,736) and Westcott’s lost interest ($149,703). The judge also limited the cost of repairs to $259,581.84, the exact figure previously proposed by Westcott himself. As for the logistics, Gudvi had already paid Westcott $9 million, retaining $6 million of the purchase price. The $1.8 million in damages will now be deducted from that remaining sum.
But the legal wrangling isn’t quite over. Gudvi, Perry’s business manager, is responsible for preparing the judgment, and a hearing for him to challenge the ruling is scheduled for December 30, 2025. Whether he’ll succeed in reducing the damages—or if this is simply the last gasp of a long and winding legal odyssey—remains to be seen.
For Perry and Bloom, the estate represents more than just a high-profile real estate investment. The property, perched on 2.5 acres of prime Montecito land, features not only eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms but also a three-bedroom guesthouse boasting ocean views, an infinity pool, jacuzzi, and outdoor fireplace. It’s the kind of place you’d expect from a pop icon and her Hollywood partner—a perfect setting, perhaps, for raising their now five-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove. According to sources cited by PEOPLE, the couple began renting out the property in February 2024, though it’s unclear if they’ve since made it their permanent home.
The case has sparked debate far beyond the courtroom. Some have painted Perry as a ruthless celebrity, pointing to her previous legal battles and questioning the ethics of her pursuit against an aging veteran. Others, however, view the situation as a straightforward matter of contract law, emphasizing that the judge found Westcott competent at the time of sale and that Perry was entitled to the property she paid for. As FandomWire put it, the “highly controversial legal battle” has left Perry in a “hot mess yet again,” but the facts of the case—at least as determined by the court—seem clear.
For his part, Westcott’s attempt to undo the sale was rooted in genuine concerns about his health and decision-making abilities. Huntington’s Disease is a devastating diagnosis, one that can profoundly affect cognition and behavior. Yet, in this instance, the court required more than a diagnosis; it demanded concrete evidence that Westcott was not of sound mind when he signed the contract. Without that, the law—and the property—fell on Perry’s side.
For now, the Montecito estate stands as a symbol of both the high stakes and human complexities that can accompany celebrity real estate deals. While Perry’s award is less than half of what she sought, it marks a definitive end to a saga that’s captivated fans, critics, and legal observers alike. Whether the pop star and her family will finally settle into their ocean-view mansion—or if the story still has another twist in store—remains to be seen. But for the moment, at least, the gavel has fallen, and the chapter appears closed.
