Judge rules against nuns in Katy Perry convent dispute

KATY PERRY may get her convent after all.

California Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant said yesterday he believes a group of elderly nuns improperly sold their hilltop convent to entrepreneur Dana Hollister, but the judge delayed any efforts by church officials to finalize a competing sale by the archdiocese to Katy.

Yesterday's mixed ruling by Chalfant will tie up the once-lavish estate in months of litigation. While the judge preliminarily ruled that Hollister's purchase of the convent is invalid, he ordered her to pay $25,000 a month to support the nuns and denied reps from Perry or Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez access to the convent during the dispute.

"There is no doubt in my mind sale to defendant Hollister was improper and invalid," Chalfant said.

Hollister had planned to turn the Roman villa-style convent into a boutique hotel and restaurant, while Perry wants to live there.

The order of nuns that has owned the property for more than 40 years hastily sold it to Hollister in June, bypassing approval by Archbishop Gomez, who wanted to sell to Katy.

Now that sale is in limbo because Hollister has already registered a deed for the property. Chalfant said it will take months, if not years, to resolve the dispute between the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the archbishop.

The "I Kissed a Girl" singer (strike one), whose parents are Protestant ministers (strike two), agreed to pay $14.5 million for the convent and to relocate an adjoining house of prayer used by priests. Hollister agreed to pay $15.5 million, with $5.5 million dedicated to relocating the prayer house.

In May, at the archbishop's request, the nuns met with Perry to see if a compromise could be worked out. At least two of the five surviving nuns - who had already searched for Perry's music videos and were mortified - continue to oppose the singer purchasing the convent.

In an ironic twist, Judge Chalfant ruled that church law governs the sale of the convent, not civil law. The sisters want civil law to be used.

Chalfant ordered Hollister to remove any armed guards from the property - because nothing says convent like commandos - and set a hearing for Sept. 15 on whether Hollister will be able to retain possession of the convent.

Archdiocese lawyers want Hollister out and said yesterday that Katy has agreed to pay rent on the convent while the case is litigated.

Katy's bid to purchase the convent still requires the Vatican's approval.

Katy, if you want to ask Pope Francis in person, he's going to be here in September.

It's a case of "Law & Order" meets "SVU."

Variety.com reports that "Law & Order" director Jason "Jace" Alexander (not to be confused with Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld") was arrested Wednesday in Westchester County, N.Y., and charged with one count of promoting a sexual performance by a child and one count of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child. He faces a maximum of seven years in state prison.

* Christine Ouzounian, the short-term nanny for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, may or may not be responsible for the couple's split, but an unnamed friend told E! News that Christine and Ben were "intimate."

He denies it.

Tattle would advise Ben and Jen that the next time they're looking for a "Nanny" they should hire more of a Fran Fine type, except she definitely slept with Mr. Sheffield.

* Lupita Nyong'o, the Oscar-winner for her role in Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave" will make her New York stage debut in September.

The Public Theater said yesterday that Lupita will star in Danai Gurira's "Eclipsed," a story of survival and resilience set in post-colonial Africa. It will be directed by Liesl Tommy.

The Mexican-born Kenyan (If she were a Socialist Muslim she could almost be President Obama, except she went to Yale) will next appear in the anticipated "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" and will voice a character in Jon Favreau's take on Disney's "The Jungle Book."

* Evangelical TV pitchman Rev. Pat Robertson is claiming that God spoke to him and our next president is going to be Ben Carson.

So even for God: Once you go black you never go back.

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.

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