American Idol wouldn't be the same without judge Katy Perry. The 38-year-old singer began serving as a judge on American Idol during its sixteenth season in 2018. While the "Roar" singer's fellow panelists Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan love her, she has become quite a controversial figure in the world of reality TV competitions.
From kissing a teen contestant to splitting her pants, Katy Perry has hit the headlines since joining the singing competition show. Here are some of her most controversial moments.
8 When Katy Perry Mom-Shamed A Contestant On American Idol Season 21
An American Idol contestant has called out judge Katy Perry for a joke that is being slammed as "mom shaming."
Twenty-five-year-old Sara Beth Liebe auditioned for the singing competition in front of Perry and her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. The panel were shocked to learn that the youthful-looking woman wasn't 16 and was a mother of three. Perry jokingly rose from her chair and acted like she was about to fall back on the table in shock at Sara's age.“If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m gonna pass out,” Liebe joked.
“Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” Perry quipped in response.
Related: What Happened To These American Idol Winners?
Liebe posted on her TikTok account explaining that people have been asking how she felt about the joke “that wasn’t super kind.” The aspiring singer said she felt that the incident was “embarrassing” and “hurtful.” Katy Perry shares a two-year-old daughter with her fiancé Orlando Bloom.
“I did want to take this opportunity just to say I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman,” Liebe said. “I also wanted to take this opportunity to say I see all of the young moms and just moms in general … keep loving your babies. Nobody deserves to feel crappy about that. I think that if you’re a good mama and you love your babies, that’s all that really matters. Other comments just don’t feel necessary.”
7 When Katy Perry Kissed A Teenage Boy On American Idol
Often cited as one of the most uncomfortable moments in reality TV, the singer kissing then-19 year Benjamin Glaze hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons!
Before his 2018 audition, Benjamin had revealed that he had never dated anyone and that he "couldn't kiss a girl without being in" a relationship. Reflecting on the experience, the contestant told The New York Times that the kiss made him "a tad bit uncomfortable."
"Would I have done it if she said, 'Would you kiss me?' No, I would have said no," he said. "I know a lot of guys would be like, 'Heck yeah!' But for me, I was raised in a conservative family, and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special."
Katy got into even deeper water when she unapologetically tweeted about the incident by posting a gif of Minnie Mouse grabbing and kissing Mickey Mouse.
6 Katy Perry Hated This Harry Styles Cover On American Idol
Three years after auditioning for American Idol, a former contestant revealed judge Katy Perry continues to "haunt him in his dreams."
Adriel Carrion auditioned for the popular singing competition when he was just 18 and recently took to TikTok to share his experiences. Carrion and fellow contestant Anthony Guzman announced they would be singing 'Watermelon Sugar' by Harry Styles and the camera immediately panned to Perry's disappointed face.
Related: Are American Idol Contestant Earnings Still The Same After More Than 20 Years?
"I can’t take another ‘Watermelon Sugar,’" the songstress laughed. "Is this ‘Watermelon Sugar’? Oh f***!" Perry exclaimed.
Carrion uses the TikTok video to express, "It’s the way that it’s been three years, and I’m still traumatized by this moment," he explained. "I can be getting my beauty rest and all I hear in my nightmares 'Not ‘Watermelon Sugar,’" Carrion added.
5 A Misjudged Hollywood Week Prank During Katy Perry's First Season Of American Idol
In Hollywood Week, during the show's first year after being revived on ABC, Katy Perry played a trick many found cruel.
Katy told one of the groups that out of the four girls, one would need to volunteer to go home. After a tense moment, Crystal Alicea agreed that she would be the one to leave the competition and started to cry.
It was then that Perry announced that everyone was actually going through to the next round, and she was just joking. She told the contestants: “Oh, sweetie, don’t cry! You’re all going through,” Perry exclaimed. “I’m just trying to see your girl power!”
4 When Katy Perry Gave A Contestant An American Idol Golden Ticket With Her Feet
William Casanova made a mistake of telling the American Idol judges during his audition that his day job involved selling women's shoes. Although he was talented and very charming, Katy Perry was more concerned about his job.
Bizarrely, Katy started bragging about "how she overcame childhood nasty-foot" and she is now "an internet foot-fave." The singer even gave William his golden ticket between her toes. Some complained this behavior took the attention away from William and his amazing voice.
3 When Katy Perry Ripped Her Pants On American Idol
Merely seconds after Maddie had finished singing 'Bubbly,' on American Idol, Katy Perry instantly burst out laughing and told everyone she had ripped her sparkly silver pants. The 'I Kissed A Girl' singer then decided to turn around and show the audience about the rip.
Her co-judgeLionel quickly sprung into action, covering her visible backside and shouting "save the children!" Katy then went over to someone in the backstage crew to "tape her butt," and everything was fine after that. Crisis averted ... kind of.
Related: These Are The Youngest American Idol Winners Ever
She would do it again, four years later. Perry went on stage for an impromptu performance of 'Teenage Dream' which led to her jeans splitting.
“Ima get ur heart racing in my skin-tight jeans on #americanidol tonight. Tune in now for a RIPPING good time,” she joked on social media alongside a video of her pants splitting situation.
2 The American Idol Fake Out Drinking Game Proposed By Katy Perry
Katy Perry caused Twitter controversy in 2021 when she joked about the number of fake-outs on the show. American Idol has been criticized for telling people they were eliminated, only to reveal it was a joke.
"Take a shot every time we fake out a contestant," Katy wrote on Twitter.
"I wonder if they know they don't have to do a fake out on every single contestant?" one disgruntled fan wrote on Twitter.
1 Katy Perry's Use Of The Word Wig
One of the most viral moments from the reboot of American Idol is Katy Perry saying wig.
Eighteen-year-old Noah Davis was starstruck and quietly said the word “wig” while staring at the panel of famous judges. “Wait, did you just say ‘wig’?” Perry asked. “I know, wig, I feel that already!”
Fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan started to ask the singer what the word meant, but Perry cut them off. “No, it’s not your language; it’s just for us.” While many people in the LBGTQ+ community thought it was hilarious and turned the exchange into a meme, some felt it was appropriating their culture.
"It's a language that sometimes the kids and I speak. It's a little bit Internet language but basically when someone sings really well, and they SANG you know, they sing so well that the wig flies off," she later explained to Jimmy Kimmel. "It's like if there is tape and glue because I've worn many wigs, hello blue wig 'California Girls.' But sometimes the glue is not strong enough to hold the vibrations and the wig flies all across the room. That's when you know you can really sing."
