Katy Perry testified Tuesday in the yearslong legal fight with an ailing Army veteran over the purchase of his $15 million Montecito, CA, mansion, proclaiming that she was seeking “justice”—but also had a financial stake with her “family for life,” ex-fiance Orlando Bloom.
The “Dark Horse” singer, 40, took a break from celebrating her daughter Daisy Dove’s 5th birthday to appear via video conference at Los Angeles County Superior Court during Phase 2 of the non-jury civil trial that is expected to last six days.
In her 55-minute testimony, which was frequently interrupted by objections from her lawyer, Perry confirmed a recent courtroom revelation from her business partner that it was Bloom, 48, who held the title to the Santa Barbara County property through the limited liability company DDoveB, named after the former couple’s daughter.
“So when title to the house was transferred as a result of this lawsuit, it never went to you or any entity you control, isn’t that true?” attorney Andrew Thomas, representing the home’s former owner, Carl Westcott, asked the singer.
“Yes, sir,” replied Perry, adding that DDoveB was one of Bloom’s several limited liability companies.
When asked by Thomas what she stood to gain from the outcome of the trial, Perry shot back: “Justice.”
“How about money,” Thomas questioned. “Do you stand to make any money from the outcome of this litigation?”
“I stand to lose money if it doesn’t work in my favor,” said Perry.
Perry admitted that she contributed no funds when Bloom’s company purchased the house in 2024 and that her role in the home’s remodeling was limited to being a “partner and adviser.”
The celebrity witness elaborated further on her participation in the renovation, saying that she saw “pictures and videos” of the work being done but took no active part in it.
Pressed to explain how she advised Bloom on the remodeling, Perry said: “I said he should hire people that would do a good job.”
Later in the questioning, Thomas again inquired whether Perry had “any financial stake” in the lawsuit.
“Yes,” she replied. “Financial stake could be lost money, lawyer’s fees, lost income for rental, and that’s about it.”
Perry has been locked in an acrimonious legal battle with Westcott since 2020, when she was understood to have purchased the Montecito home belonging to the 85-year-old 1-800-Flowers founder for $15 million, only for him to rescind the deal days later.
Westcott, who had reportedly snapped the sprawling estate for $11 million just two months earlier, sued Perry’s long-time business manager, Bernie Gudvi, who handled the purchase, claiming that he “lacked capacity” to sell his home because he was suffering from a brain disorder and was under the influence of painkillers.
“The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr. Westcott of unsound mind,” Westcott’s lawyers stated in court documents.
Perry’s legal team argued that the seller had been of sound mind when he agreed to the multimillion-dollar transaction.
Years of legal back-and-forth followed, culminating in a 2023 ruling by Judge Joseph Lipner, who found for Perry, having concluded that the original sale contract should be upheld.
Perry then countersued Westcott, initially seeking close to $6 million in damages from the veteran, including $3.5 million in lost rental income and more than $2 million in repairs due to the former owner’s alleged “lack of maintenance” of the property. Her legal team has since revised down the sought damages to $4.8 million.
By the time Bloom’s LLC secured the title to the home last year, there was $9 million of the $15 million purchase price held in an escrow account, with the remaining $6 million being in dispute.
During her testimony on Tuesday, Perry was asked who would be responsible for paying Westcott were the judge to rule that he was entitled to more money beyond the $9 million, to which the hitmaker said that it could be a combination of her and Bloom’s funds.
“Are you two somehow partners in the property?” Thomas asked.
“We’re family for life,” said Perry, weeks after her split from the star of “The Pirates of the Caribbean” was made public. The pair had been together for nine years and share one daughter.
Perry stopped short of saying that she and Bloom were financial partners, but said of the property at the center of the case: “It’s a good financial interest for me. I will gain financially from out.”
The pop star also revealed under questioning that by the time her business manager approached Westcott to purchase his Montecito estate on her behalf, she already owned three other homes in Santa Barbara County “to house my family.”
Perry’s day in court came after Gudvi’s surprise testimony last week revealing Bloom’s ownership of the Montecito property.
“I believe Mr. Bloom bought the house through some controlled entity,” Gudvi said while being cross-examined by Thomas last Thursday.
The 9,285-square-foot estate sitting in the Santa Ynez foothills comes with eight bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a tennis court, a pool, and a pair of guesthouses.
Although it was previously reported that Perry formally took possession of the mansion in May 2024, Gudvi revealed that it was Bloom who acquired the title to the property through DDoveB LLC.
When asked by Thomas if it was his understanding that it was Bloom who secured the home, Gudvi replied: “That’s correct.”
A document filed with the California Office of the Secretary of State, dated May 10, 2024, indicates that Bloom and two of his business managers formed the DDoveB LLC.
During questioning, Thomas, using Perry’s legal name, Kathryn Hudson, asked Gudvi about the singer’s connection to the property, or lack thereof.
“So Ms. Hudson has no interest whatever in the house, since the date it was purchased on May 17, 2024?” inquired the lawyer.
“I can’t say that. I don’t know,” replied Gudvi. “I mean, shared legal interest, I don’t think so.”
Just before the second portion of the trial got underway last week, Perry’s lawyers tried to shoehorn her testimony “out of order,” earning a tongue-lashing from Judge Lipner, who labeled the request “really outrageous.”
Perry is currently on break from her international “Lifetimes Tour,” which is set to resume next month. Her latest performance took place in Miami on Saturday.
Westcott’s attorneys have made repeated attempts to compel Bloom to testify, but the judge has shut down these requests, declaring on Thursday that he was “not moved” to bring “The Lord of the Rings” star up on the stand even in light of his newly revealed status as the home’s legal owner.
Westcott’s team was also potentially seeking to question “Parks and Recreation” alum Chris Pratt, who is understood to have been renting the Montecito home with his wife, Kathryn Schwarzenneger, while waiting for construction to wrap up on their new Brentwood, CA, compound.
Although Pratt, 46, is not scheduled to give testimony at this time, he has been named as a potential witness, with lawyers representing the veteran looking to question him about the home’s alleged damages.
In court on Tuesday, Perry confirmed that the Montecito mansion was currently being rented out, but she did not name the tenants at the insistence of one of her lawyers and the judge, who cited privacy concerns.