Katy Perry’s longtime business manager, Bernie Gudvi, has asked a judge to pay Carl Westcott more than $5 million in legal fees after losing a battle over a Santa Barbara mansion Westcott sold to the singer. Westcott, a disabled veteran and successful businessman, tried to cancel the sale, claiming he was under the influence of painkillers after surgery when he signed the contract.
Legal fees in Katy Perry’s mansion case
TMZ reports that court documents show that Gudvi’s lawyers asked her to cover legal fees incurred by Westcott between 2020 and 2026.Westcott sued to get out of the sale of the mansion after agreeing to sell the Santa Barbara home to Perry. He argued that his medical condition and use of painkillers after surgery influenced his decision at the time he made the deal.Perry refused to back out of the deal. Then the case went through the court and ended in his favor. The trial awarded damages and ordered Westcott to immediately return the keys to Perry.
Carl Westcott loses the Santa Barbara mansion battle
Gudvi was the named person in the pleadings and managed the legal battle for Perry. His team now says the case required a lot of legal work over several years.The filing says the fees came from work related to Katy’s depositions, review of Westcott’s medical records and trial preparation. The lawyers also highlighted the length of the procedure, which lasted from 2020 to 2026.The filing adds a new chapter to the real estate case, which has already attracted attention because of the people involved and the nature of Westcott’s claims. The report describes him as a disabled veteran and “highly successful businessman” who contested the sale after signing the agreement.The judge will now have to decide whether Westcott must pay Gudvi’s legal costs. The court has already ruled against Westcott in the main case and ordered him to leave the mansion to Perry.
