Hollywood star Chris Pratt has unexpectedly surfaced in American singer Katy Perry’s ongoing courtroom battle over a $15 million mansion in California (US).
The case dates back to 2020, when Katy and her then-partner Orlando Bloom agreed to buy an 8.9-acre estate in Montecito from U.S. Army veteran Carl Westcott. According to a report in the NME, Carl had purchased the home only two months earlier for roughly $11 million. Days after signing the contract, he argued that he had been under the influence of heavy medication following “a major six-hour surgery” and was “of unsound mind and not competent to give his free, voluntary, or intelligent consent to the contract.”
A week later, after the medication wore off, Carl claimed he began to feel “mentally clear again” and tried to back out of the deal. However, Katy’s representatives then offered him more than what he had originally paid for the house, but Carl refused. The dispute has stretched on ever since.
In November 2023, the first phase of the trial saw a judge uphold Katy’s purchase agreement. The case returned to court on August 21 for the damages phase, with Katy seeking an additional $6 million. The singer alleges she lost $3 million in rental income during the four years she was unable to take control of the home and that Carl’s “lack of maintenance” resulted in $2.29 million in repairs.
Court filings submitted on July 31 by Carl claim Katy later rented the property to Chris Pratt and his wife. The documents also note that Maria Shriver, Chris’ mother-in-law, had been bidding against Katy for the same house in 2020, prompting the pop star to raise her offer from $13.5 million to $15 million. The filings further allege: “The $2.29 million in estimated repairs was bogus and Katy was able to rent the Westcott Property as-is to Chris Pratt (for what some have rumored to be $150,000 in rent just for this summer).”
Katy has been ordered to testify in the damages trial. While Chris has not been deposed or summoned, legal experts suggest his connection to the home could factor into Katy’s claims.
This is not the first time Katy has faced a high-profile property battle. In 2017, she was awarded $3.3 million in damages after a protracted legal fight involving her attempt to purchase a Los Angeles convent.