A Man Tried to Take Back the House He Sold Katy Perry. He Lost. She Won $5 Million. He's Still Fighting.

Katy Perry at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival. Credit: Colleen Sturtevant / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Carl Westcott sold Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom a $15 million Montecito estate in 2020. Days later he tried to take it back, claiming he lacked the mental capacity to approve the sale due to Huntington’s Disease. He has now lost in court twice and owes Perry nearly $5 million in combined damages and legal fees. He is appealing.

The Deal That Unraveled Months After Signing

Perry and Bloom, engaged at the time, purchased the 9,285-square-foot Montecito home as a family property. Westcott - founder of 1-800-Flowers - moved to rescind the contract, arguing his diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease impaired his judgment when he signed. Judge Joseph Lipner found no persuasive evidence to support the claim, ruling that Westcott appeared to understand the transaction when he agreed to it.

Two Verdicts, Two Separate Awards

In November 2025, the court awarded Perry’s side $1,842,142.84 in damages - representing rental value Perry lost while the dispute held the property in legal limbo. On May 28, Judge Lipner issued a second order requiring Westcott to pay an additional $3 million in attorney fees plus $345,000 in court costs. The combined total pushed past $5 million.

The fee award was lower than Perry’s team requested. Her attorneys sought $4.5 million for nearly 5,000 billable hours. The judge found that figure excessive but affirmed the right to recover legal costs.

What the Appeal Means

Westcott is contesting both the underlying judgment and the fee award. As long as the appeal proceeds, the financial obligations remain unresolved. Perry has paid $9 million of the original $15 million purchase price. The counter-claim adds another layer the appeal will have to address.

The case has moved through six years of litigation with no settlement. Perry told the court when questioned about what she stood to gain: “Justice.”

References: Katy Perry Scores $3 Million Legal-Fee Order in $15 Million Mansion Fight | Katy Perry Gets $3M Legal Fee Refund on Top of $2M Court Win in Montecito Mansion Sale Battle