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Stevie Wonder Sues to Evict Ex-Fiancée From LA Home She's Lived in Rent-Free for Decades
The music icon is taking former fiancée Carmen Efferson to court over a Los Angeles home she's occupied under a decades-old verbal arrangement, after what his side says became a standoff over a routine insurance inspection.
Stevie Wonder has sued his former fiancée, Carmen Efferson, seeking to remove her from a Los Angeles home where she has lived rent-free since 1988 under a verbal arrangement the two made while they were engaged decades ago, according to multiple entertainment outlets. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Oct. 22.
According to TMZ, Wonder's side says the arrangement let Efferson live in the property without paying rent after the two were engaged, though they never married. Reports differ on the exact length of the arrangement, with some describing it as 38 years and others as nearly 40, and some outlets spell her surname "Epperson" rather than "Efferson."
An Insurance Dispute Boils Over
The lawsuit traces the breaking point to a routine insurance inspection. Wonder's representatives say they tried several times over the summer to gain access to the property to satisfy an insurer's requirements, and that Efferson refused to let anyone inside — a refusal his attorneys argue put the home's insurance coverage at risk. One report indicated an eviction notice had already been filed in July, with Efferson expected to vacate by Aug. 27, a deadline that came and went before Wonder's team escalated to a formal lawsuit.
SHE'S LIVED THERE SINCE 1988 — RENT FREE.
The suit asks a judge to terminate the decades-old arrangement and order Efferson out of the home, and also seeks roughly $600 in damages tied to costs Wonder's side says it incurred from the lost insurance coverage, plus legal fees. Efferson had not publicly responded as of Tuesday, and it remains unclear whether she has retained an attorney.
The dispute resurfaced in gossip coverage again this week after TMZ reported Efferson was "reportedly shocked" by the lawsuit, suggesting the two sides had not discussed the filing directly before it became public. Neither Wonder's representatives nor Efferson have issued an on-record statement beyond what's reflected in the court filing itself.
Wonder, 76, has largely stayed out of the tabloid spotlight in recent years, making the dispute a notable departure from his typically low-key public profile. No hearing date had been publicly reported as of Tuesday evening.