By 1988, Stevie Wonder was already the music legend we recognize him as today. He was fresh off releasing his 21st studio album, which garnered two number one singles on the R&B chart, and in just a year’s time would go on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Surprisingly enough, it also appears he was reportedly engaged during that year to a woman named Carmen Efferson. Even though things apparently didn’t work out, Wonder has allowed the woman to live in a Los Angeles home that he’s been fronting the bill on for the past four decades. Now, the pioneering R&B king is issuing a lawsuit to evict Efferson after he says the free ride has gone on entirely too long.
Umm, you think?!
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As reported by TMZ, legal documents confirm that Efferson has been living in the house since July 1988 under a verbal agreement that essentially waived her monthly rent to $0. It appears there was no issue with the arrangement until this past summer when Stevie’s team attempted to access the home in order to conduct an insurance inspection. Efferson replied by refusing to let anyone enter the property.
More on this story below, via TMZ:
“His lawyers say the lack of access jeopardized the property’s insurance coverage, prompting them to send Carmen a notice in July terminating her right to stay there.
Stevie’s team says she was supposed to be out by August 27 … but she’s still there, leading the singer to file the eviction lawsuit.
Things got pretty heated between Carmen and Stevie’s legal team … in one email included in the court docs, Carmen accused an attorney of having a ‘racist cold-blooded ‘white male privilege” tone and demanded he stop contacting her, dropping a few F-bombs along the way.”
Stevie’s attorney David Huff debunked her claim by clarifying that the lawyer she spoke to was neither white nor male, in addition to giving the woman warning beforehand that her refusal to let him conduct the inspection had the potential of resulting in an eviction. As fans may already be aware of, Stevie himself has been married to Tomeeka Bracy since 2017 following his 2015 divorce from Kai Millard after 14 years and 1972 divorce from Syreeta Wright after two years.
Where Carmen Efferson factors into the mix has yet to be determined, but it’s fair to assume that he’s since changed his tune from “Isn’t She Lovely” to more along the lines of “isn’t she leaving?”
Overstayed: Stevie Wonder Sues To Evict Ex After Four Decades Of Rent-Free Living
was originally published on
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