Stevie Wonder’s ex-fiancée, Carmen Efferson, has asked a court to stop the singer from evicting her from his Los Angeles home, while accusing him of failing to address serious problems with the property.
In a response filed on Tuesday, Efferson denied the claims made in Wonder’s legal action and asked the judge not to remove her from the house, where she says she has lived for decades.
She has also asked the court to order Wonder, whom she regards as her landlord, to carry out repairs. Efferson alleges the property has damp or leaking ceilings and walls, holes in the walls, floors and carpet, falling plaster, peeling paint and defective or leaking plumbing.
Efferson says the issues should be dealt with as soon as possible. Her filing comes after Wonder sued to end the arrangement under which she has occupied the property since July 1988.
Wonder claims Efferson’s right to remain at the home was based on a verbal agreement, with no written lease and no monthly rent. He argues that the arrangement has now come to an end.
The singer also alleges that he sent several people to the property for an insurance inspection but that Efferson refused to allow them inside.
A source close to Efferson said she was taken by surprise by the lawsuit. The source said she had told friends that Wonder promised the home to her.
