Stevie Wonder’s former girlfriend, whom he once considered marrying, is back in court fighting the singer’s effort to evict her from a Los Angeles home she says he promised her decades ago. And apparently, while Wonder may be a musical genius, his former flame believes he leaves a lot to be desired as a landlord.
According to TMZ, Carmen Efferson filed a response in court Tuesday denying claims made by the “My Cherie Amour” singer and asking a judge not to throw her out of the property. But Efferson isn’t just fighting to keep a roof over her head. She also wants Wonder ordered to fix the house, which she claims has been neglected for years.
And based on the list of alleged problems, this isn’t exactly a case of somebody complaining about a leaky faucet.
Efferson claims the property has “damp or leaking ceilings or walls, holes in the walls/floors/carpet, falling plaster or peeling paint, defective/leaking plumbing, and many more issues,” TMZ reports. She wants the repairs made as soon as possible.
Wonder’s original filing sought to remove Efferson from the home, where she says she has lived since July 1988. The arrangement, according to the filing, was based on a verbal agreement rather than a formal lease. And the rent? Absolutely nothing. Efferson reportedly has been living there rent-free for nearly four decades.
Wonder argues that the agreement has run its course and that it’s time for his former girlfriend to move on. He also claims he has tried to send people to inspect the property, including an insurance inspector, but Efferson has refused to allow them inside.
A source close to Efferson told TMZ she was blindsided by the lawsuit. The source also said Efferson has told friends that Wonder promised her the house.
Which brings us to the rather awkward question at the center of this whole mess: What exactly was promised, and what did both parties understand that promise to mean?
For now, Wonder wants his former girlfriend out, while Efferson wants to stay and have the house repaired. It’s a messy situation involving an ex, an alleged decades-old promise and a landlord-tenant dispute that has somehow turned into a courtroom showdown.
The man who gave us “Isn’t She Lovely” is now apparently asking a judge to decide whether his former love has overstayed her welcome.
Old Story
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Stevie Wonder’s ex-girlfriend, whom he once considered marrying, has the singer back in court denying claims lobbed against her noting that Wonder now serves as her landlord and needs to fix numerous issues with the house she’s lived in for decades.
According to TMZ, Carmen Efferson, who at one point in their relationship was engaged to the man who made music that everyone gets married to, filed a response to Stevie’s claims in court Tuesday. Not only did Efferson deny the “Mi Cherie Amore” singer’s claims but she reportedly asked the judge not to kick her out of the home.
She also claimed that while Stevie Wonder might be a great piano player, he is not a great landlord and asked the judge to order him to improve the property where she’s been living and claims that he’s been neglecting.
According to Efferson, “…the house has damp or leaking ceilings or walls, holes in the walls/floors/carpet, falling plaster or peeling paint, defective/leaking plumbing, and many more issues,” TMZ reports.
Efferson added that she wants these issues fixed ASAP. TMZ notes that Stevie’s initial filing was to kick Efferson out of the Los Angeles home where she lives and has been living since July 1988 under a verbal agreement that never included a formal lease and a rent of … .wait, let me make sure I’m reading this correctly, $0. Stevie claims that the agreement has run its course and wants his former girlfriend out of the property.
Stevie claims that he’s sent several people to the house, including an insurance inspector, but claims that Efferson refuses to let anyone into the house.
A source close to Carmen says she was blindsided by the lawsuit … and we’re told Carmen told friends that Stevie promised the home to her.