On Friday, a nun being sued by Katy Perry collapsed and died in court. The 89-year-old Sister Catherine Rose Holzman fell out during a post-judgment hearing connected to the lawsuit filed by Perry and the Archdiocese of LA.
For those not caught up on the bitter legal battle between Perry and the nuns (what even is life), the battle is over who has the legal right to sell the convent the nuns lived in from 1971 to 2011.
The Archdiocese of LA offered to sell the convent to Perry for $14.5 million in 2015, while the late Holzman and another nun from the Immaculate Heart of Mary community arranged to sell it to the LA restaurateur Dana Hollister for $15.5 million.
Perry and the Archdiocese opened a case against Hollister and the nuns, under claims that the nuns had no right to sell the property.
Perry wants to turn the property into a private home for her mother and grandmother, while Hollister wants to turn it into a hotel.
"Perry was a very lovely person but her offer is not as good as Dana’s. We’re looking for someone who will care for our property and let it be open for the public to enjoy. She wants it for a private home, a hideaway,” one of the nuns said, according to NY Daily News.
Just last week, the nuns released a documentary about their ongoing legal battle for their home.
Following Sister Holzman's tragic passing on Friday, the Archdiocese released a statement expressing condolences:
"Sister Catherine Rose served the Church with dedication and love for many years and today we remember her life with gratitude. We extend our prayers today to the Immaculate Heart of Mary community and to all her friends and loved ones.”
A post on the website advertising the sisters' documentary further expresses their thoughts towards Perry's proposed purchase.
"Our Sisters were supposed to live for the rest of our lives at our beloved Convent. But, against our will, the Archdiocese removed us to 'monetize' our property. Katy Perry wants it and she has no concern for the terrible path of destruction she is creating to get it. She is deeply hurting us and our friends who have stepped up to help us."
There are no words for how simultaneously sad and bizarre this whole scenario is.