Pop star Katy Perry has been awarded $1.94 million (£1.44 million) in a court judgment following more than five years of legal battles with Texas millionaire Carl Wescott.
The ruling by a Los Angeles court brings an end to the prolonged dispute between Perry and the 1-800-Flowers founder over a $15 million (£11.1 million) contract for a luxury mansion in Montecito, California.
The judge ruled that Wescott must deduct nearly $2 million (£1.48 million) from the agreed purchase price as a penalty for improperly attempting to withdraw from the 2020 sale agreement.
The dispute dates back to July 2020, when Katy Perry signed a contract to buy the sprawling property. A month later, Wescott filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the deal, claiming that painkillers taken after back surgery left him mentally impaired and unable to properly consent to the sale.
After years of litigation, a court ruled in 2023 that Wescott was fully competent at the time of the agreement. The court noted that he had turned down a lower offer from former California First Lady Maria Shriver just days before entering into the contract with Perry.
The final judgment represents the amount Katy Perry could have earned had she been able to rent out the Montecito home during the 43 months it remained vacant amid the legal dispute.
In his ruling, the judge stated, “There is no reason to believe that this unique and attractive property would not rent for all 43 months,” concluding the long-running legal saga in the singer’s favour.
