Katy Perry joins Peppa Pig, battles octogenarian

Leave it to Katy Perry to keep her career varied and interesting. Known for pop hits and playful outrageousness, the singer has mellowed out a bit with motherhood and a steady gig on American Idol. Yet you can trust that she still has some surprises up her sleeve. Like, if we had a nickel every time Katy Perry outlived an octogenarian with whom she’s locked in a bitter legal battle over real estate, we’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice!

Yes, Real Housewives Of Dallas alum Kameron Westcott alleges to RadarOnline.com that her father-in-law, 1-800-Flowers founder Carl Westcott, is on death’s door as he awaits trial against Perry. The 84-year-old’s family has argued he was on painkillers and not in his right mind when he sold his house to her and her partner Orlando Bloom. (Perry countersued for $1.4 million “to cover lost income she could have earned from renting out the property, had the sale proceeded as planned,” per Bloomberg.) Westcott reportedly suffers from Huntington’s, a neurological disease, and wanted to live out the rest of his life on the property Perry purchased. “He’s such an honorable man. He’s worked his entire life and deserves to stay in his home,” Kameron told RadarOnline.com. “It’s sad Katy is trying to take that from him.”

True fans will recall that a similar situation occurred when Perry bought a former Catholic convent in Los Angeles to strenuous objections from the nuns who once lived there. The Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary attempted to sell the property to another buyer, but a judge ultimately ruled against them. It has since gone down in legend that Sister Catherine Rose Holzman said on camera, “Katy Perry, please stop,” shortly before collapsing in court and subsequently dying. As the legal battle against Westcott is set to begin on Wednesday, this bizarre event threatens to repeat itself, though the mogul’s family has vowed to keep fighting on his behalf no matter what happens. “Now, does everything in the world have a price? Yeah,” his son Chart Westcott, who is “appalled” by the way Perry’s team has handled the situation, told Bloomberg. “But is ours ridiculously high because of how upset we are at how we’ve been treated? Yes.”

Oh, you thought we were done? No, a testy real estate war is not the only big Katy Perry news. It was also announced that the Grammy winner will voice a new character on Peppa Pig, as part of the British children’s program’s 20th anniversary special. Perry plays Ms. Leopard (a role recorded pre-SAG-AFTRA strike), “who assists with the preparations for the first-ever Peppa Pig wedding between Mr. Bull and Mrs. Cow,” per Deadline. The episode is set to air in spring 2024.

“We’re incredibly thrilled to have such an A-list talent join the family-fun adventures in Peppa Pig. As a loving parent and fan of Peppa herself, Katy Perry is a perfect fit to voice the character of Ms. Leopard,” President of Hasbro Entertainment Olivier Dumont said in a statement (via Deadline). “Reaching this brand milestone of two decades and being able to work with outstanding talent like Katy is a testament to the worldwide success of Peppa Pig and her ability to deliver entertainment no fans will want to miss. This is just one of the many exciting projects we have in the pipeline for fans and families to commemorate Peppa Pig’s 20th anniversary in 2024, such as live events and attractions, products and partnerships, Peppa parties all over the world and much more. Everyone’s invited to our year-long celebration.”

There you have it folks: Katy Perry (who, by the way, just recently sold her entire back catalog for a whopping $225 million) packs more into a Wednesday than most do in a whole month. What other pop star has the range?