Katy Perry Was Granted an Unexpected Win Amid This Surprsing Legal Battle With Ex Orlando Bloom
On August 1, a Los Angeles judge ruled that Bloom will not be required to testify in Perry's ongoing real estate battle — a small but strategic victory for the pop star's team as they head into the next phase of trial, per Us Weekly. The case centers around a $15 million Santa Barbara mansion Perry purchased in 2020 via her business manager Bernie Gudvi. The seller, 84-year-old veteran Carl Westcott, tried to rescind the deal just days later, claiming he was on painkillers following surgery and mentally unfit to sign.
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Westcott's team had been pushing to depose Bloom, arguing he had relevant knowledge about the property's condition. But Perry's side called the request untimely. The judge agreed, noting the information could be obtained through other means. According to Rolling Stone, sources say Westcott's attorneys aren't backing down — but for now, Bloom's name is off the witness list.
It's a rare moment of momentum for Perry, whose side of this case has drawn intense scrutiny online. Critics have zeroed in on Westcott's age, health, and veteran status, questioning the optics of a mega-rich pop star acquiring property from a bedridden man with Huntington's disease. Even Real Housewives alum Kameron Westcott — Carl's daughter-in-law — publicly accused Perry of exploiting his condition, calling the singer's actions 'disgusting.'
Perry, who has faced similar controversy before — including a failed attempt to buy a Los Feliz convent — has stayed mostly silent. Her reps confirmed her split from Bloom just weeks before the August 1 hearing, saying the former couple are focused on co-parenting their 4-year-old daughter, Daisy. But timing hasn't done much to soften the headlines.
Whether or not Bloom testifies, his presence in the case lingers. So does the question of what — and who — this win ultimately costs.
Before you go, click to see the longest celebrity divorces that took years to get finalized.
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