Stevie Wonder has spent decades making audiences laugh with his sharp wit and playful personality on stage.
However, the legendary singer’s latest move suggests he is no longer willing to joke about his property.
The 25-time Grammy winner has reached a breaking point in a longstanding personal arrangement.
This time, the 76-year-old music icon is taking a former lover to court after allowing her to live in his Los Angeles property rent-free for nearly 38 years.
According to TMZ, Wonder filed an eviction lawsuit against a woman named Carmen Efferson.
Efferson is a woman he reportedly dated and was engaged to during the late 1980s.
Court documents indicate she moved into the property in July 1988 under a verbal agreement. However, there was no written lease, and her monthly rent was $0.
That arrangement apparently worked for decades. Now, Wonder wants his house back.
The dispute reportedly escalated over the summer when Wonder’s representatives attempted to enter the property for an insurance inspection. Efferson allegedly refused several requests for access.
His attorneys argued that her refusal jeopardized the property’s insurance coverage. They subsequently issued a notice in July terminating her right to occupy the residence.
Efferson was instructed to leave by Aug. 27. However, Wonder claims she remained inside, prompting his legal action.
Efferson allegedly accused one attorney of having a “racist, cold-blooded ‘white male privilege’” tone in a profanity-laced email.
Attorney David Huff responded by explaining that the lawyer she originally criticized was neither white nor male. He also referenced his grandfather’s civil rights legacy.
Wonder is now seeking possession of the property, damages and legal expenses.
Social media users wasted little time weighing in.
“Well wow a forty year free ride,” one TMZ reader wrote. Another declared, “Rent free for over 40 years? Good things dont last forever…now get to steppin!” A third offered a considerably more suggestive explanation: “A good suky suky goes a looooong way ladies.”
Over on X, the jokes turned toward Wonder’s blindness.
“She didn’t SEE that coming Too soon?” one user joked. Another posted, “Bro gave her a home and now he wants the keys back even Stevie said this arrangement has gone off-key.”
A third commented, “She really thought she could hide from him.”
This isn’t Wonder’s first legal dispute with a former romantic partner.
In October 2001, ex-girlfriend Angela McAfee filed a $30 million palimony lawsuit. According to Billboard, she alleged that Wonder had concealed a sexually transmitted infection and passed genital herpes to her.
McAfee also claimed the singer persuaded her to abandon her wardrobe consulting career in 1996 and move into his estate.
According to her lawsuit, Wonder agreed to provide financial support while she maintained their household. She alleged he promised to support her for life, even if their relationship ended.
Wonder’s attorney, Laura Wasser, denied the allegations and insisted McAfee’s claims had no merit.
His current eviction dispute also recalls other celebrity battles over who gets to remain in a home after romance ends.
In 2012, Usher’s contentious split from Tameka Foster included a dispute over the Georgia mansion where she lived with their two sons. Reports indicated Usher could require her to vacate the property with two months’ notice.
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Porsha Williams faced a similar dispute with her ex-husband, Simon Guobadia. She accused him of changing locks and restricting access to their Atlanta marital residence during their bitter 2024 divorce proceedings.
Guobadia purchased the home during his previous marriage to former “RHOA” star Falynn Pina. He disputed Williams’ account, as the two traded accusations through legal filings.
Singer and actor Tyrese accused his ex-wife of trying to reconcile to avoid eviction after their divorce.
Their 2026 settlement gave Williams full ownership after Simon gave up “any and all right, title, interest, estate, claim, lien, or demand whatsoever.” It also states that she is entitled to $1,568,181.63 of the home’s equity. She already received the title to a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Wonder, meanwhile, has moved on. He married his third wife, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, in 2017.
After nearly four decades of free housing, Wonder apparently believes it is finally time for his former flame to find another place to call home.
