#news: Katy Perry to take stand in court battle with US veteran after judge blasts proceedings as 'outrageous'
LOS ANGELES – After a five-year feud with the Wescott family over her $15 million mansion, Katy Perry is gearing up to take the stand on Aug. 26.
Carl Westcott – a U.S. Army veteran and the founder of 1-800-Flowers – filed a lawsuit in 2020 against Perry's business manager, Bernie Gudvi (who represented the "Firework" singer in the July 2020 purchase of the Santa Barbara-area mansion), after attempting to rescind the deal he made to sell his 8.9-acre estate to Perry for $15 million.
Westcott had reportedly purchased the home two months earlier for roughly $11 million. At the time, Carl sought a rescission of contract after claiming he "lacked capacity" to sign the transaction due to a recent surgery and brain disorder.
In November 2023, Judge Joseph Lipner ruled that Gudvi was entitled to the sale of the Montecito home purchased on Perry's behalf in 2020. The trial was split into two parts by the judge. The damages phase took place last year and the penalty phase, which kicked off this week.
On Thursday, Judge Lipner criticized Perry's legal team after its attempt to get the "Firework" singer to testify in a Los Angeles court that day, a request to essentially move Perry's testimony up and out of a scheduled order in the six-day trial.
Perry's lawyers noted that the musician preferred to go by her real name, Katheryn Hudson, and apologized for last-minute scheduling concerns, stating they were unaware of the singer's availability due to her demanding tour schedule.
"That's outrageous … that she's only allowed to testify today," the judge said. "It doesn't reflect well on you, it doesn't reflect well on Ms. Hudson. It's not nice, it's not right."
Perry, 40, embarked on The Lifetimes Tour in April, and is scheduled to wrap the U.S. leg on Saturday in Miami, Fl. "We learned only fairly recently what her availability was," Alex Linhardt argued. "Today and tomorrow and that's probably it."
"They're basically saying she should testify out of order today," the judge said before asking Westcott's lawyer, Andrew J. Thomas, what he would like to do, to which Thomas noted he wasn't prepared with such little notice.
"I can order her back and if they don't produce her, you can be angry," the judge told the court before Thomas asked for 48 hours to prepare to question Perry.
"I don't like the strategy/tactics on her side," the judge added. "She may be called back for another hour at a second date," he said before opening statements in the case began.
Judge Lipner ruled Thursday that there would be no further continuances in the case. Since the case was brought forward, a total of seven continuances were filed, six of which from the Westcott team.
Westcott's son, Court Westcott, told Fox News Digital that the first day of the damages phase of the trial was challenging, but he has hope for his father.
"Emotionally, it was a draining day, but I'm also very optimistic and excited to finally get a chance to meet the person that has been absent for this trial," he said. "We're glad to have our day in court and we're looking forward to justice for my father."
Attorney Christopher C. Melcher noted that Perry's request to testify out of order would "disrupt the flow of the trial."
"The court said the request for Katy to testify out of order was unreasonable because the lawsuit is the priority for the parties and the need to change any conflicting plans," Melcher told Fox News Digital. "Katy was not directly involved in the acquisition of the home because she used her business manager as the straw purchaser.
"This may limit her knowledge of the transaction, but she presumably was aware of the condition of the home when it was purchased and when she got the keys nearly three years later."
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On May 17, 2024, Perry took legal ownership after the deed was recorded.
She is seeking up to $4.8 million in damages – including an additional $2 million for damages to the property – citing structural defects, deferred maintenance, and lost rental income.
While Perry has been ordered to take the stand, the Westcott family is also pushing for the singer's ex, Orlando Bloom, to testify. Bloom, who split from Perry earlier this year, was served a subpoena and named in the joint witness list.
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According to the Daily Mail, the judge said that he only needed the testimony of the contractors and questioned how Bloom's testimony would benefit.
"Why do we need Mr. Bloom to (give testimony), other than making this a celebrity circus?" the judge said during a previous hearing.
Earlier this month, "Real Housewives of Dallas" alum Kameron Westcott said the family always wanted to settle.
"We never, ever, ever even wanted to have to go to court," said Kameron, who is married to Carl's son, Court. "I mean, to be honest, we all always wanted to settle with her, and we never wanted to be in this position. Especially when my father-in-law has Huntington's disease and dementia. This is the last thing we want to do and deal with."
Ahead of the trial, Chart Westcott, said the family would be willing to forgive Perry under one circumstance.
"An apology would be nice. That would tie a ribbon around the whole thing," he told the New York Post. "[I'm] not expecting it. I don't think it's in her nature to take responsibility for anything, really at all, but certainly not for her bad acts. She doesn't take responsibility, so that's not going to happen. But that would be nice."
"I think you have to forgive people if they're sincere in their apologies. You have to give them that grace," he added.
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