Katy Perry

Carl Westcott sought to cancel the sale of his Montecito property, agreed in 2020 for $15 million, arguing that his health and medication meant he lacked the necessary mental capacity when contracting. The court rejected this argument and ordered the sale to be completed. Perry took possession in 2024; in late 2025 she was awarded approximately $1.8 million in damages, followed by more than $3 million in legal fees in 2026.

State of the evidence

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Directly implicated

Singer Katy Perry and Australian designer Katie Taylor, who trades under the 'Katie Perry' brand, disputed clothing trademark rights for years. After a first-instance victory for the designer and an appellate victory for the singer in 2024, the High Court of Australia ruled by majority in favour of the designer on 11 March 2026, setting aside cancellation of her trademark and awarding her costs.

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In 2026, Australian actress Ruby Rose publicly accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub in central Melbourne in 2010. Victoria Police confirmed that its specialist unit was investigating a report of a historical sexual assault said to have occurred in 2010 at a licensed venue in Melbourne's central business district.

Attribution

Personally implicated

Scenes for the 'Lifetimes' video were filmed on the protected dunes of s'Espalmador, in the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera, without the necessary administrative permission. In August 2025, the Balearic government fined the production company €6,001 for a serious infringement.

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Katy Perry took part in the all-female Blue Origin NS-31 suborbital flight on 14 April 2025. It prompted strong criticism, with some regarding the trip as ostentatious, environmentally questionable or disconnected from everyday hardship.

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Directly implicated

Katy Perry's musical comeback with 'Woman's World' was criticised because producer Dr Luke, a central figure in a long-running legal dispute with Kesha, worked on a song presented as celebrating women's independence.

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Directly implicated

Christian rapper Marcus Gray, known as Flame, and his co-writers alleged that 'Dark Horse' copied a musical pattern from their track 'Joyful Noise'. A federal jury initially found for the claimants in 2019 and awarded approximately $2.8 million in damages. In 2020, the judge overturned the verdict; in March 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Perry's victory.

Attribution

Accused

Loafers and sandals from Katy Perry Collections featuring a stylised face, particularly the black versions, were accused of evoking blackface. The black designs were withdrawn from sale.

Josh Kloss, a model in the 'Teenage Dream' video, accused Katy Perry on social media of pulling down his trousers and underwear at a party, exposing his genitals in front of guests. The allegation was widely reported in 2019.

State of the evidence

Alleged

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Personally implicated

Katy Perry's early hits, particularly 'Ur So Gay' and 'I Kissed a Girl', were criticised by commentators and activists for using homophobic stereotypes or portraying female bisexuality in a manner considered reductive.

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Directly implicated

Katy Perry sought to buy a former convent in Los Angeles from the archdiocese. Two nuns challenged the transaction and attempted to sell the property to restaurateur Dana Hollister. Courts ruled that the competing sale was invalid and recognised the archdiocese's authority; Perry and the archdiocese were awarded damages against Hollister.

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During an 'American Idol' audition, Katy Perry kissed contestant Benjamin Glaze on the lips after he explained that he had never kissed a woman. Glaze subsequently said the gesture made him uncomfortable and that he would have declined had he been asked.

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Directly implicated

Katy Perry posted an image of the Hindu goddess Kali on Instagram with the caption 'current mood'. Some Indian social media users and commentators accused her of using a sacred religious figure superficially or disrespectfully.

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Personally implicated

A sequence in the 'Dark Horse' video showed a character wearing a pendant bearing the Arabic word 'Allah', which was destroyed along with the character. A petition attracting tens of thousands of signatures condemned the scene as offensive to Muslims. The symbol was subsequently digitally removed from the video.

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At the 2013 American Music Awards, Katy Perry performed 'Unconditionally' in a production inspired by Japanese aesthetics, with costume and scenery evoking geishas. Some critics accused the performance of reducing Japanese culture to stereotypes or exoticising it.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated