Stevie Wonder

LOS ANGELES — Stevie Wonder has sued to evict a former romantic partner from a Los Angeles home he owns, where she has lived without paying rent for nearly four decades, according to court documents.

The legal fight with Carmen Efferson began over something routine: an insurance inspection.

The lawsuit, first reported by TMZ, says Efferson moved into the home in July 1988 under a verbal agreement with the Grammy-winning singer. There was no written lease, and her rent was $0 a month, according to the filing.

Wonder and Efferson were reportedly engaged in the late 1980s, around the time she moved in. The romance ended, but the housing arrangement continued through Wonder's later relationships and marriages.

Dispute over inspection

According to the lawsuit, Wonder's representatives tried several times over the summer to get into the home for an insurance inspection. Efferson refused to let them in, the suit says.

Wonder's side said her refusal put the property's insurance coverage at risk.

In July, Wonder's legal team sent Efferson notice that her permission to live in the home was being revoked and gave her until Aug. 27 to move out. She did not leave, according to the filing.

Wonder is now asking a court to order her removal and to award him damages and legal costs.

Heated emails

The court filing includes emails between Efferson and Wonder's lawyers that show the dispute turning bitter.

In one email, Efferson accused an attorney of taking a "racist cold-blooded 'white male privilege'" tone and demanded that he stop contacting her, according to the documents.

Wonder's attorney, David Huff, replied that the lawyer who first contacted Efferson was neither white nor male, according to reports on the filing. Huff also noted that his own grandfather was a civil rights hero. He warned that continuing to block the inspection could lead to her eviction.

Efferson's response to the lawsuit was not immediately known. TMZ did not report any comment from her, and it was not clear whether she has an attorney.

California tenant law

The case may raise questions about the rights of long-term occupants under California law. California generally requires property owners to go through a formal court process to remove someone from a home, even when no written lease or rent payment exists.

Legal observers have noted that occupants who live in a property for long periods under an informal arrangement may still be entitled to legal notice before being removed. That is why Wonder's team sent a termination notice before filing suit.

The court will decide whether Efferson must leave and whether Wonder is owed damages.

A busy year for Wonder

The lawsuit comes as Wonder, 76, is on tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of his landmark 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life," performing it in full.

The tour began in Europe in October. It is scheduled to reach New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 19 before stops in Chicago and Washington and two homecoming shows at Detroit's Fox Theatre.

"Songs in the Key of Life," which includes "Sir Duke," "I Wish," "As" and "Isn't She Lovely," is Wonder's best-selling album and is certified diamond.

Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Michigan, Wonder signed with Motown as a child prodigy and became one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. He has won 25 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Wonder has been married to his third wife, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, since 2017.

He has not commented publicly on the lawsuit.