Nun Involved In Katy Perry Lawsuit Has Collapsed In Court And Died

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It's been a while since we caught up with the Katy Perry versus the nuns court case, and the latest update is a sad one. A few months after a court sided with Katy Perry and the Catholic Church after she purchased a $14.5 million former convent, the "Roar" singer was back in court over the 8-acre convent. On Friday, during a proceeding about the case, 89-year-old Sister Catherine Rose Holzman collapsed in court during the post- judgment hearing. She ended up passing away at the age of 89.

Previously, Sister Catherine Rose Holzman was a key name in the case against Katy Perry. She and fellow sister Rita Callanan sold the convent to restauranteur Dana Hollister. This happened in 2015. Also that year, the archdiocese said the nuns had no right to sell the property and approved a sale to Katy Perry, instead. Dana Hollister was reportedly already living on the property at the time, making the lawsuit even murkier.

One of the other big issues related to the sale was that Sister Catherine Rose Holzman and Sister Rita Callanan opposed signing the convent over to Katy Perry specifically, believing her image was unwholesome. Therefore, due to those multiple problems, the case went to court, and in 2016, the nuns, along with Dana Hollister, lost. Hollister was told to shell out $15 million in damages. She subsequently had to file for bankruptcy. This wasn't the first famous case of lawyering Katy Perry was involved in, either, as she also memorably went to war over Left Shark.

Before Sister Catherine Rose Holzman collapsed in court, the two nuns spoke to Fox LA, pleading,

You have stolen the property of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart. Please archbishop... Do what is right in your heart.

The two nuns believe that the local courts should never have had anything to do with the case as they said the convent was not related to the Los Angeles Archdiocese and any issues should have gone straight through the Vatican. They also have said there is an agreement with the Vatican and any potential issues related to the sale should have gone down in Rome and not in California.

Archibishop Jose Gomez spoke out after Sister Catherine's death, noting the nun gave service "with dedication and love." He also told NPR,

I was sad to hear the news of her passing and I have offered a Mass for the repose of her soul. We extend our prayers today to the Immaculate Heart of Mary community and to all her friends and loved ones.

In the meantime, the Katy Perry court case seems to be winding down. We'll let you know if any additional news breaks related to the case. In the meantime, our hearts go out to the family and friends of Sister Catherine Holzman.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.