The son of an 85-year-old disabled veteran has voiced criticism against Katy Perry as their legal dispute over a mansion heads to court.
In 2020, Carl Westcott sold his Santa Barbara home to Katy Perry through her business manager, Bernie Gudvi, for $15 million. However, shortly after, Westcott, who suffers from Huntington’s disease, claimed that he was not of ‘sound mind’ during the sale and attempted to rescind the contract.
The ensuing lawsuit over the property resulted in a judge ruling in favor of Perry. The court determined there was evidence that Westcott was ‘coherent, engaged, lucid, and rational’ at the time of signing the agreement.
The property deed was ultimately transferred to Perry’s LLC, DDoveB, in May 2024. Subsequently, Perry filed a countersuit against Westcott, asserting that she incurred $3.25 million in damages due to her inability to rent out the property during the legal proceedings from September 2020 to March 2024.
The pop star’s legal team also requested an additional $2.29 million, claiming the property required restoration to its original condition upon purchase.
As the conflict approaches its next stage on August 21, Westcott’s son has spoken out following the judge’s decision on August 1, ruling that Perry’s former partner, Orlando Bloom, would not be required to testify in the trial. Westcott’s attorneys sought to question Bloom about the alleged repairs, as he is associated with the LLC, according to the New York Post.
“I wasn’t surprised and I understand the judge’s desire to avoid a media circus but the reality is that everything these two people do, Katy and Orlando, is in the media and also like just because they have media attention doesn’t excuse them from the obligations that the court can put them under and it shouldn’t,” Chart Westcott told the New York Post. “That’s a two-tier celebrity privilege standard, and that’s not OK.”
Regarding his father’s health, he added: “Katy could’ve walked away at any time with grace and humanity. Instead, she has chosen to fight a dying man in court, all for money. OK, that’s who we’re dealing with here. He is bedridden. He has late-stage dementia and Huntington’s. His ability to speak kind of ebbs and flows. Some days are better than others.”
“There’s no argument to justify what’s happening here from a moral perspective like this is the exploitation of a man whose mind and body are basically shutting down, and he’s being dragged into court,” he continued.
Westcott’s son further expressed his disapproval, calling Perry a ‘brat’, not in the playful Charli XCX sense.
“Avoiding accountability for her immoral and wrong choices is basically a hallmark of her. She’s essentially a giant spoiled brat, you know, I mean it, like to boil it down.”
Chart Westcott had previously conveyed the family’s ‘shock’ at Perry’s decision to seek damages, stating, “If an old man apologizes and says he made a mistake [about the house sale], and she’s a rich pop star who can buy any other house in the world, you’d think she would let the old man go on his way.”
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of both Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom for their comments.