Katy Perry has 'blood on her hands' says nun who's been battling the pop superstar's purchase of a former convent in Los Angeles
An 89-year-old Roman Catholic nun, who battled with pop superstar Katy Perry for years over the sale of a Los Angeles convent, collapsed and died during a court appearance in March of 2018.
Now Sister Rita Callanan, the only surviving nun who lived at the Order of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, issued some tough words about Perry more than a year after Sister Catherine Rose Holzman's death.
'I really didn't like Katy Perry. I'm sure she doesn't like me,' the 81-year-old nun told the New York Post, adding that the singer 'has blood on her hands.'
Reportedly, Holzman's last words before she passed were: 'Katy Perry. Please stop.'
Tough words: Sister Rita Callanan said Katy Perry 'has blood on her hands' in regards to the pop superstar's effort to buy a former convent in Los Angeles
Holzman and Callanan were among the nuns who lived on the eight-acre property after it was purchased in 1972.
The sisters occupied it until 2011, when they say they were forced to move.
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The nuns sought to sell the land and the 30,000-square-foot Spanish-Gothic home for $15.5 million to restaurateur Dana Hollister, who wanted to convert the property into a hotel.
But the Archdiocese of Los Angeles sued to block the sale in 2015, arguing the nuns did not have authority to sell the property to Hollister.
Home sweet home: Sister Rita Callanan (right) and Sister Catherine Rose Holzman (left) lived on the eight-acre property that includes a 30,000-square-foot Spanish-Gothic home until 2011
A judge ruled in 2016 that the sale was invalid, citing that Hollister interfered with the sale of the former convent to Perry because the nuns did not approve of the singer’s image.
A jury awarded Perry and the archdiocese damages totaling more than $15 million.
According to Callanan's legal team, Perry no longer wants the property and the convent is now back on the market for $25 million.
Tragic: Sister Holzman collapsed and died in court last year while fighting the sale to Perry
In retrospect, Sister Callanan admits that she and her fellow sisters may have acted without authority.
'We asked Dana [Hollister] 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.'
She also admitted that the move probably wasn't entirely legal.
'But it wasn't legal for Katy Perry to buy [it] either,' the sister added.
The long court battle: The nuns reportedly did not want the property to be sold to Perry because they didn't approve of her image
Sister Callanan has been dealing with some serious health issues over the last year, which included an emergency spine operation.
She is now in a rehab center and needs daily help.
'The Archdiocese doesn't understand what they have done to these women, [or] just how devastated [the nuns] were when they kicked them out and really destroyed their community,' a source said.
More drama: Sister Callanan's legal team says Perry no longer wants the property and it's back on the market for $25 million
