Katy Perry’s Weird Legal Troubles Over the Years

Katy Perry has been involved in a number of unruly legal matters over the years.

Perry has been to court more than once regarding legal issues regarding the purchase of the property. The first incident was in 2015 when he sued a group of monks who tried to stop him from buying a monastery.

Recently, Perry and her boyfriend, Orlando Bloomwent to court over the sale of their Santa Barbara home. The previous owner said he was in no condition to sell the property due to his deteriorating health and was forced to sell the home to Perry and Bloom.

Keep scrolling to see Perry’s weirdest legal troubles over the years:

Legal War with the Monks

Perry sued the group Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary after the singer tried to buy a convent in Los Angeles. According to the New York Timesthe monks bought the land in 1972 from a businessman Daniel Donohue. However, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles forced the remaining sisters to move against their will in 2011, per Billboard.

After years, Archbishop Joseph Gomez he agreed to sell the property to Perry without input from the monks. Perry, who grew up with a religious background, offered to pay $14.5 million for the property, which Gomez accepted.

After learning that Perry wanted to buy their former home, the two nuns researched Perry. The women are said to have surprised them after watching some of his previous interviews and playing them. In 2015, Perry finally reunited with the two monks and reportedly sang the gospel song “Oh Happy Day” to them and showed them his “Jesus” tattoo on his wrist.

Before Perry finalized the sale with Gomez, the nuns, who believed they owned the land, decided to sell the restaurant to a developer. Dana Hollister. After giving the title, Perry and the archbishop sued the monks for selling the land and Hollister. The judge ruled in Perry’s favor invalidating the Hollister purchase.

In 2017, Perry won the right to buy the monastery but needed permission from the Vatican. According to Billboard, any sale of church property over $7.5 million requires final approval from the Vatican. Later that year, the Vatican decided that it would not approve Perry’s purchase until he had found another place for the House of Prayer for the site.

Later that year, a jury found that Hollister had intentionally interfered with Perry’s purchase. Hollister was ordered to pay $3.47 million in attorney’s fees to the archdiocese and $1.57 million to Perry’s firm. He was found guilty of mischief and fraud. Hollister announced that he was engaged shortly after the verdict.

After all the drama, Perry ultimately did not pursue the sale of the mansion.

‘Dark Horse’ Patent Case

In 2014, a Christian hip-hop artist A flame (real name Marcus Grey) sued Perry for copyright infringement claiming he copied the eight-note riff from his 2008 song “Joyful Noise” on his 2014 song “Dark Horse.”

Five years later, the case went to trial. Perry testified in court and volunteered to sing the song live when the lawyers had technical problems getting the music played for the jury. Producer Dr. Lukewho worked with Perry on the track, also testified. Both Perry and Dr. Luke said they had not heard Flame’s song and did not know him before the trial.

A jury found Perry guilty of trespassing. Perry and other defendants were ordered to pay $2.78 million to Flame. Perry appealed the decision and won in 2020. A judge overturned the decision, ruling that the eight-note “ostinato” Perry allegedly copied did not have the “substantial originality” to warrant copyright protection. Flame appealed the new ruling but the appeals court ruled in Perry’s favor in 2022.

Katy Perry vs. Katie Perry

Australian designer Katie Perrywho also goes by her married name Katie Taylor, sued the singer for trademark infringement in 2019. Taylor, who began selling clothes under her birth name in 2007, said Perry’s visit infringed on the fashion designer’s trademark.

Perry had previously tried to have the trademark revoked but was dismissed by a judge. In 2023, Perry lost a trademark battle after a judge ruled in Taylor’s favor.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s House Lawsuit

The two were sued by the former owner of their Montecito property. Carl Wescotta veteran businessman and businessman, sold the property to Perry and Bloom in July 2020. However, three years later he said he “lacked the mental capacity to understand the nature and potential consequences of the contract,” according to court documents obtained Us Weekly in August 2023.

In the filing, Westcott said he has Huntington’s disease and said he was taking painkillers after back surgery a few days before the sale. He said he was “of unsound mind and unable to give his free, voluntary, or intelligent consent to the contract.” After realizing he didn’t want to sell his home, Wescott contacted Berkshire Hathaway, who acted as a dual agent for the seller and buyer, to explain the situation. He stated that he did not want to sell his house and apologized for the confusion.

Westcott is said to have received a letter from Perry and Bloom telling him “how much they love the house and want to buy it.” The veteran replied that “he is in the last few years of his life and will not be able to sell his house.” Attorneys for Perry and Bloom are said to have sent Westcott a letter saying the couple “do not intend to walk away” from the sale and that they are “obligated to complete the sale.”

In November 2023, a judge ruled that Westcott did not meet his burden of proving he was mentally unfit at the time of the sale.

Investigation of the Music Video ‘Time to Live Forever

Perry shot the music video for her song, “Lifetimes,” in Ibiza and throughout Spain’s Balearic Islands. After the fall of the video in August 2024, an investigation into possible environmental damage was launched,

The Balearic Islands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment says the production company “did not request approval” for the filming, according to a press release. The environmental organization also received “a lot of information” about “alleged violations” committed by the production company while filming in the protected sand dunes of S’Espalmador.

Perry has yet to comment on the allegations.