Vicksburg native Carl Westcott’s mansion sale to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom sparks legal controversy

An ongoing legal conflict between singer Katy Perry, actor Orlando Bloom, and 83-year-old army veteran and Vicksburg native Carl Westcott has recently gained attention. Westcott claims that he was influenced by opioids following a significant back surgery when he agreed to sell his Santa Barbara mansion to the celebrity couple.

Westcott, born in Vicksburg’s charity hospital in 1939, according to The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, rose to prominence through a series of successful business ventures, most famously with 1-800-Flowers.

In July 2020, Westcott had signed a real estate contract, securing an offer from Perry and Bloom which was more than what he had initially paid for the home just a few months prior. However, days later, as the effects of his medication began to wear off, he realized the implications of his decision. When he expressed his intent to cancel the sale agreement, he was met with legal pushback.

The central issue of the case hinges on Westcott’s mental condition at the time of the sale. His legal representatives maintain that due to his age, the aftermath of his recent surgery, and the effects of prescribed opiates, Westcott wasn’t in a sound state of mind when he entered the sale agreement.

Westcott, who has also been battling Huntington’s Disease since 2015, will not attend the upcoming trial due to the severity of his condition. His family is now in a contest over the ownership of the $15 million estate with the celebrity couple.

This isn’t Katy Perry’s first encounter with high-profile property disputes. In 2015, she was embroiled in a legal challenge with Roman Catholic nuns over a Los Angeles convent purchase. This resulted in a judge’s favorable ruling for Perry in 2016. During the proceedings in 2018, Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, one of the nuns, collapsed and died during a court appearance.