Nationwide — Stevie Wonder is suing Carmen Efferson, his former romantic partner, to evict her from his Los Angeles home after she allegedly lived there rent-free for nearly 38 years. The singer says he ended their long-standing arrangement after she refused to allow access to the property for an insurance inspection, but she has yet to move out. She reportedly moved into the home in July 1988 under a verbal agreement that required no monthly rent. Court documents obtained by TMZ state that the two never signed a written lease. Wonder now wants a judge to terminate the arrangement and require her to leave the property.
The dispute escalated over the summer when Wonder’s representatives attempted several times to inspect the home for insurance purposes. His legal team claims Efferson refused to let them inside, raising concerns about the property’s insurance coverage. In July, his attorneys sent her a notice ending her right to remain in the home and gave her until August 27 to move out. However, she allegedly stayed past the deadline, prompting the singer to file an eviction lawsuit.
The disagreement also sparked a heated exchange between Efferson and Wonder’s legal team. In an email included in the court filings, she accused one attorney of having a “racist cold-blooded ‘white male privilege’” tone and demanded that he stop contacting her. The message also included profanity. Attorney David Huff pushed back, explaining that the lawyer who initially contacted Efferson was neither white nor male. He also cited his grandfather’s involvement in the civil rights movement and warned that refusing the inspection could result in eviction.
Beyond the property dispute, Efferson and Wonder reportedly share a romantic history. The two were said to have been engaged in the late 1980s, around the time she began living in the home. Wonder has since remarried, tying the knot with his third wife, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, in 2017.
The singer is now asking the court to order Efferson to leave the Los Angeles property. He is also seeking damages and reimbursement for his legal expenses. The lawsuit will determine whether Wonder can end the decades-long living arrangement and regain control of the home.