Katy Perry Fights For 'Justice' In $15 Million Montecito Mansion Battle With Ailing Vet

Katy Perry’s Courtroom Drama: Seeking Justice in Montecito

Hollywood’s favorite pop diva, Katy Perry, isn’t just dropping chart-topping hits - she’s dropping bombshells in a Los Angeles courtroom. Testifying via video on Tuesday at LA Superior Court, the 40-year-old singer made it clear she’s not just after cash in her legal war over a stunning $15 million Montecito mansion. Dressed in a sharp gray striped dress shirt with her signature dark locks cascading down, Perry told the court she’s gunning for one thing above all: justice.

“I stand to lose money if this doesn’t go my way,” she admitted during her 55-minute testimony, casually sipping from a blue metal water bottle. This isn’t just a real estate squabble - it’s a full-on SoCal soap opera, playing out in the exclusive enclave of Montecito, where A-listers like Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Oprah Winfrey call home.

The stakes? A jaw-dropping 9,000-square-foot estate on 2.5 acres that Perry snapped up in July 2020 for a cool $15 million through her business manager, Bernie Gudvi. But the deal went south faster than a Santa Ana wind, and now she’s in a bitter feud with the original owner, 85-year-old veteran Carl Westcott, who’s battling an incurable brain disorder.

The Deal Gone Wrong: A Veteran’s Regret

Here’s where the plot thickens with some serious Malibu-style drama. Westcott, who bought the 1930s estate just months before selling it, tried to back out days after signing the contract, claiming he was under the influence of heavy painkillers post-surgery. Fresh out of a six-hour back operation, the then-80-year-old veteran argued his judgment was clouded by a potent mix of opiates when he inked the deal.

Perry and her now-ex-fiancé, actor Orlando Bloom, weren’t having it. They fought tooth and nail to keep the sprawling property - complete with a tennis court, pool, and two guesthouses - envisioning it as the perfect spot to raise their daughter Daisy, who turned five on the day of Perry’s testimony. After a nearly four-year legal slugfest, the famous duo won the right to keep the mansion, located just 100 miles north of LA’s glitzy heart.

But the battle didn’t end there. Perry and Bloom circled back to court, originally demanding $6 million from Westcott for damages and back rent, later trimming that down to $1.3 million. Think flooded basements ($1.1 million in repairs) and a guest cottage roof smashed by a fallen oak tree ($225,000 to fix). Oh, and don’t forget the $3.5 million in lost rent Perry claims she could’ve banked during this drawn-out ordeal.

Family Feud: Westcott’s Loved Ones Slam Perry’s ‘Greed’

Westcott’s family isn’t holding back, and they’re bringing some serious Hollywood shade. Carl’s son Chart Westcott, 39, called out Perry’s actions as “entitled celebrity behavior” and accused the pop star - worth an estimated $350 million - of having “zero empathy.” With his father bedridden and in hospice care for Huntington’s disease, Chart labeled Perry’s demands for damages “absolutely egregious” and rooted in pure greed.

“This is just a small deal for someone like her, but it’s everything to us. It’s all about privilege,” Chart vented to reporters outside the courthouse.

Meanwhile, Carl’s other son, Court Westcott - married to Real Housewives of Dallas star Kameron Westcott - described the five-year legal fight as “devastating” for their ailing patriarch. “My dad’s at the end of his life. He’s not even aware of what’s happening,” Court shared with DailyMail.com, hoping for closure as the trial continues.

Behind the Mansion: A Veteran’s Story and Perry’s Plans

Carl Westcott’s backstory adds another layer to this Tinseltown tangle. A U.S. Army 101st Airborne veteran born into a “dirt poor” Mississippi family, he made his way to LA and built a fortune with companies like 1-800-Flowers. His family argues he was in no state to sell when Perry’s team swooped in, paying $3.75 million more than what he’d just shelled out for the property in May 2020.

Perry, currently rocking her Lifetimes tour, admitted during testimony that the mansion’s title now sits with an LLC controlled by Bloom. When pressed on who’s footing the remaining $6 million of the $15 million price tag (Westcott’s received $9 million so far), she kept it vague: “It could be a combination of Orlando and me. We’re family for life.” Sounds like a classic Hollywood power couple move, even post-split in June after nine years together.

Adding to the saga, Perry’s already bought another luxe Montecito pad nearby and recently rented the disputed estate to actor Chris Pratt, his wife Katherine, and their three kids. Meanwhile, Judge Joseph Lipner ruled there’s “no persuasive evidence” Westcott lacked capacity to sign the contract, leaving only the damages question up for grabs. Will Perry walk away with her millions, or will Westcott’s family get the final say? Stay tuned - this courtroom drama’s hotter than a SoCal summer.