Photo by Rózsavölgyi Gyöngyi, cropped (CC BY-SA)
The Lowdown
Stevie Wonder’s eviction case now has two sides. His ex-fiancée, who has lived in his Los Angeles house since 1988, filed a response on Tuesday denying his claims and alleging the home needs serious repairs, according to court filings obtained by TMZ and Rolling Stone (TMZ; Rolling Stone).
Key Takeaways
- Wonder sued in October to remove her, alleging she’s lived there rent-free under a verbal agreement since 1988 (Rolling Stone; TMZ).
- Her response denies his claims and asks the judge not to evict her (TMZ; Rolling Stone).
- She alleges leaks, holes in walls and floors, peeling paint, plumbing problems and mold, and calls it a breach of the warranty of habitability (Rolling Stone).
- She asks for repairs, attorney fees and reduced rent until it’s fixed, and disputes that Wonder owns the property (Rolling Stone).
- These are allegations in a court filing. Wonder’s side says the dispute is about insuring the home (Rolling Stone; TMZ).
What the Filings Say
Wonder’s complaint, filed Oct. 22, alleges that she refused three attempts in July to let representatives inspect the home for an insurance renewal, and that she was told to move out by Aug. 27 and didn’t, according to Rolling Stone (Rolling Stone).
In her answer, filed Nov. 3 and obtained by Rolling Stone, she claims she has paid rent or provided other services in exchange for living there, and argues Wonder lacks standing because he isn’t the owner (Rolling Stone). According to TMZ, she wants the repairs done right away (TMZ).
A source on Wonder’s side previously told TMZ the case is about safety and insurance, not anything personal (TMZ). We are not naming his ex-fiancée, who is a private person.
The Pit Take
In our opinion, this should have been settled with a phone call decades ago. A 38-year handshake deal was always going to end badly once lawyers got involved, and now both sides are airing grievances in public filings. We’re not picking a side on the facts; a judge will. More in Celebrity, and see FKA twigs and Shia LaBeouf’s court fight.
The Background
TMZ reports the two were engaged in the 1980s but never married. Wonder married Tomeeka Robyn Bracy in 2017 (TMZ).
Our photo shows Wonder in November 2021.
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