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Stevie Wonder is seeking to evict Carmen Efferson from a Los Angeles property she has allegedly occupied without paying rent for nearly four decades, according to TMZ.
The lawsuit centers on a verbal arrangement that reportedly began in July 1988. Wonder claims the agreement did not require Efferson to pay monthly rent and says he has since terminated her right to remain in the home.
The dispute escalated this summer when Wonder’s legal team allegedly tried to arrange an insurance inspection of the property. According to TMZ, Efferson refused to provide access, prompting the singer’s attorneys to warn that the situation could jeopardize the property’s insurance coverage.
Wonder’s attorneys reportedly sent Efferson a notice in July directing her to leave by August 27. The lawsuit alleges she did not comply. Wonder is seeking an eviction order, damages and legal fees.
The disagreement also prompted a heated exchange between Efferson and the singer’s legal representatives. In an email included in the court documents, Efferson accused an attorney of using a “racist cold-blooded ‘white male privilege’” tone and demanded that he stop contacting her.
Attorney David Huff responded that the lawyer who initially contacted Efferson was neither white nor male. Huff also referenced his grandfather’s civil rights work and warned that refusing the inspection could lead to eviction, TMZ reported.
Efferson and Wonder reportedly were romantically involved and engaged in the late 1980s. Wonder has been married to his third wife, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, since 2017, according to TMZ.
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