Stevie Wonder is taking legal action to evict a woman who’s lived rent-free in his Los Angeles house since 1988.
The legendary singer (real name Stevland Morris) sued Carmen Efferson on Thursday (Oct. 22) to demand she move out of a three-bedroom house he owns in the ritzy Hollywood Hills neighborhood. The court papers, obtained by Billboard, say Efferson has lived for free in the home for 38 years under an oral agreement.
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Not much is known about Efferson, though it appears she was linked to Wonder around the time she moved into the house: Archival Billboard coverage credited her as a producer of the music video for his Michael Jackson collaboration “Get It” in 1988, and a tabloid report from the same year claimed they were engaged. The two never married.
According to Thursday’s lawsuit, Wonder’s representatives tried to enter the Hollywood house three times in July to inspect it for a property insurance renewal. But Efferson refused to let them in and told Wonder’s attorney to “f–k the f–k off” in an email.”
“Please refrain from your racist coldblooded ‘white male privilege’ tone,” wrote Efferson in the July email to lawyer David Huff. “I am feeling harassed. Regarding your ORDERS of entering into the place where I am living, I do not consent. Do not make any attempt to make any kind of contact with me.”
In response, Wonder’s lawyers served Efferson with multiple legal notices warning that they would seek her eviction if she did not let in the insurance inspectors. “The choice is yours,” wrote Huff. She did not comply, leading the attorney to file Thursday’s eviction lawsuit.
In technical terms, Wonder is suing Efferson for unlawful detainer. The singer wants a judge to order her removed from the Hollywood house, and he says Efferson should pay damages of $600 because her behavior led the home’s property insurance to lapse.
Efferson did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday (Oct. 23).