Katy Perry Nun Lawsuit: Daily Mail Runs Old Interview As New

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The Daily Mail is misrepresenting an old interview tied to a lawsuit involving Katy Perry and a group of nuns. Despite a request to retract the misleading post several days ago, the article remains online. Gossip Cop can explain what’s going on.

Perry has been caught up in a years-long legal battle regarding property she intended to purchase. The real estate was formerly a convent, and there’s been a dispute over who has the right to sell the land and whether Perry should be allowed to buy it. A handful of nuns, who previously called the convent home, sold the property to a woman named Dana Hollister, who had plans to turn the property into a hotel.

At the same time, Perry purchased the home and its eight acres from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. With the case still in litigation, one of the nuns, Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, collapsed in court on March 9 and suddenly died while supporting Hollister in her own bankruptcy proceedings. That court session, however, had nothing to do with Perry.

On March 17, the Daily Mail published a purported “exclusive” with another nun, Sister Rita Callanan, in which she’s quoted about the legal battle. As seen in the screengrab below, the British tabloid packaged the story to make it seem as if the interview with Callanan was conducted following Holzman’s death. “On Friday, in the latest round of the epic court battle, Sister Holzman tragically collapsed and died in the Los Angeles courtroom,” the introduction states. “Now Sister Rita Callanan says she’s been left with nothing in the ongoing legal fight.”

Towards the end of the article, however, it is readily apparent that Callanan’s statements were indeed given before her friend passed away. As seen below, she is quoted as saying, “We live a very simple life. Catherine Rose is in St John of God Gard Retirement Home in L.A. The others are at Nazareth House.” Obviously, Rose is not currently living in a retirement home because she has passed away.

Now Gossip Cop has exclusively obtained an email sent to the Daily Mail by a representative for Callanan, in which it is requested that “the ‘exclusive’ with Sr Rita published in [Friday’s] Daily Mail be removed immediately.” The rep notes that “Sr Rita’s ‘exclusive interview’ occurred more than a year ago,” and points out the story “falsely represents that the interview occurred after the death of Sr Catherine Rose last week.”

The spokesperson stresses that Callanan is “in grief,” and “appropriately… has not spoken to anyone in the media since last Friday.” Contrary to the article’s claims, “She certainly isn’t focused on… Katy Perry or the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,” states the rep, who calls for the story to be “removed immediately,” as it is causing “great anguish.”

The email was sent on March 17, the same day the article was published online. However, as of March 21, it remains not only accessible, but there has been no correction affixed to let readers know the quotes are more than 12 months old. Gossip Cop has reached out to the paper for comment about why the retraction request has apparently been ignored. We have yet to hear back.

Meanwhile, we’ve learned that Perry is frustrated by the situation as well. “Simply put, all Katy wanted to do is buy a new house,” laments a source close to the singer. And now the matter is further complicated by the Daily Mail plainly misrepresenting an old interview tied to her.

(Daily Mail)

(Daily Mail)