Yahoo News Katy Perry 'has blood on her hands' claims nun in legal battle with singer
A nun whose best friend collapsed and died in court during a property dispute with Katy Perry has said the singer has “blood on her hands”.
Sister Ria Callanan, 81, has been involved in a lengthy legal battle with the Roar singer over her attempted purchase of a former Los Angeles convent in 2015. Her friend Sister Catherine Rose Holzman died age 89 in an LA court in March 2018 as they prepared to face Perry’s lawyers.
Sister Callanan, the only surviving sister of the Order of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, told the New York Post that Sister Holzman's last words were: "Katy Perry. Please stop."
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Sister Callanan said: “I really didn’t like Katy Perry. I’m sure she doesn’t like me.”
The two nuns launched their legal battle to challenge Perry’s attempted purchase of a former Los Angeles convent.
The Firework singer agreed to buy the eight-acre property and its Roman villa-style buildings from the Los Angeles archdiocese for $14.5m ($10.4m) in 2015.
The deal failed when its former residents objected.
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The Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary had resided in the property for more than four decades, but have not lived there since 2011.
Sister Callanan and Sister Holzman had tried to prevent Perry's purchase by selling the property to restaurant owner Dana Hollister for $44,000 (£31,760).
A judge declared the nuns' sale invalid in 2016 and awarded Perry and the archdiocese damages totalling more than $10m (£7.85m).
The sisters had failed to get the consent of Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez and the Vatican for the sale.
Hours before she collapsed, Sister Holzman told US news channel Fox 11 LA: "To Katy Perry, please stop. It's not doing anyone any good except hurting a lot of people."
Sister Callanan's legal team told the New York Post that Perry no longer wants the property. The convent is reportedly is back on the market for $25m (£19.6m).
The LA archdiocese, which claims it has the right to sell the convent, told the Post: "While formal legal option on the property has expired, the archdiocese and Ms Perry continue to be in communication concerning her continued interest in the property."
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Sister Callanan admitted: "We asked Dana to buy our property as we didn't want it to go to Katy Perry. Yes, we put the wheels in motion to sell our property.
"Was it legal? Probably not entirely. But it wasn't legal for Katy Perry to buy it either."
Sister Callanan said: “I intend to fight — but how long I can do that, I don’t know.”
