Nun claims Katy Perry has 'blood on her hands' over property deal

A nun who was engaged in a property dispute with pop star Katy Perry has said the singer has “blood on her hands”.

Rita Callanan’s best friend Catherine Rose Holzman, a fellow nun, collapsed and died as they prepared to face Perry’s legal team in a Los Angeles Court in March 2018.

Sister Callanan, 81, told the New York Post that Sister Holzman’s last words were: “Katy Perry. Please stop.”

She added that Perry had “blood on her hands” over the 89-year-old’s death.

The two nuns were challenging the singer’s attempted purchase of a former Los Angeles convent.

Perry 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.

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 spoke to US news channel Fox 11 LA, decrying a ruling that cleared the way for the sale of the property to Perry.

She said: “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.”

Sister Callanan has admitted that perhaps she acted without authority in selling the convent.

She said: “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.”