Katy Perryis preparing for acomplex day in court, where she will be questioned about rumors that she rented her $15 million Santa Barbara estate to actorChris Pratt. As per legal documents, the 40-year-old pop star is expected to address a June report claiming Pratt, his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, and his four children moved into the property—which has been at thecenter of a legal battlesince 2020. At the time, Perry and her former fiancé, Orlando Bloom, purchased it from entrepreneurCarl Westcott, who sued the couple alleging Perry's manager blocked his efforts to back out of the deal at the last minute. Image credits:Neil Mockford/Getty The85-year-old, who owned the property for only two months before the sale, claimed he was not sound of mind when he agreed to the sale, as he was recovering from a surgery and under the influence of potent painkillers. Westcott filed suit, alleging he was unable to comprehend the "nature and probable consequences" of the contract. Image credits:Leon Bennett/Getty However, in the first phase of the trial, which began in November 2023 and concluded in 2024, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner sided withPerry, ruling that "Westcott presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked capacity to enter into a real estate contract." As a result, the deed was officially transferred to Perry in May 2024. Image credits:prattprattpratt Despite the victory, the fight is far from over. The upcoming phase of the trial, scheduled for August 15, is mere days away and will focus on damagesPerry's teamclaims she is owed. They are seeking $3.5 million for "lost rental value" from September 2020 to March 2024, plus an additional $2.2 million for repairs allegedly required to restore the property to its original condition. Image credits:Village Properties According to Perry's manager, Bernie Gudvi, a 2024 inspection revealed "pervasive flood damage" totaling nearly $1 million, foundation cracks caused by a fallen tree, and other structural issues. Despite Westcott being unable to back out of the deal, Perry's team argue that the $15 million purchase price was based on the home's 2020 condition and that the entrepreneur "should not be able to profit from his own deficient construction and lack of maintenance while this litigation was pending." Image credits:Village Properties Westcott's legal team disputes that the home suffered damage during the disputed period and points out thatPerryhas already put $9 million of the $15 million purchase price into a neutral holding account, known as escrow. That money is essentially frozen there until the court decides who should get it, leaving $6 million of the sale price still in question. Image credits:prattprattpratt They are also accusing Perry's side of inflating their claims, noting she initially sought $3.25 million in damages but later added $2.29 million in alleged repair costs—bringing the total to $5.4 million, which suspiciously coincides with the amount she still owes. Despite his separation from Perry last month,Bloomhasn't gone unscathed. Westcott's lawyers attempted to subpoena the actor to testify about whether he ever lived in the property and what repairs were carried out, but the request was denied last Friday (August 1). Image credits:katyperry The trial date comes at a turbulent time for Katy Parry. From career and public image troubles to her split from Bloom after nearly a decade together. The former couple issued ajoint statementsaying that they were rearranging their relationship to focus on co-parenting their daughter Daisy. At the same time, Perry made headlines after being spotted dining with former Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau. At the same time, Perry'sLifetimestourhas been on the receiving end of criticism amid a wave of production delays and questionable creative choices. Image credits:katyperry The singer's public image took amajor hitfollowing her controversial spaceflight on Blue Origin's New Shepard mission on April 14. Critics and fans alike dismissed the venture as acelebrity vanity project, especially after Perry's remark that the trip made her feel "more connected to love," which many perceived as tone-deaf given the mission's elite nature. According to insiders, the fallout from the spaceflight caused last-minute scrapping of related stage elements on her tour, contributing to the perception of low-budget production. "Bezos could have been a global hero if he left her in space," a user wrote.
