Well, it looks like Katy Perry may not be such a biotch after all! Weeks after defending the American Idol judge amid backlash — and reports that she may leave the show — former contestant Oliver Steele has doubled down on his stance that she’s a “wonderful person.”
Earlier this month, the Season 21 finalist assured his followers that Perry “is not a bully,” before further opening up about his time working with the musician during a recent episode of the American Idol Unaired podcast.
While Steele said she’s “a little more reserved” than her co-judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, it “doesn’t mean she’s not approachable.”
“You know, I was a little irritated with the way that her — the way that she was treated after the show and the things that people were saying, because it’s all bullc—,” he said, per The Daily Mail. “Katy’s a wonderful person.”
Steele continued, “Like I came up to her like day one in Hollywood. I was like, ‘Katy, would you mind if I got a photo?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, sure, just like one second.’ Because they were doing like her makeup, and then she’s like, ‘Alright, let’s get that photo.’ Like she’s just super sweet.”
He added that she’s “supportive in her own little way” — and while he didn’t win the ultimate competition, he thanked the “Hot N Cold” singer for “pushing him” to be “better” and reach his “full potential.”
Steele’s conversation on the podcast echoed previous comments he made about Perry — who quickly become the most recent season’s punching bag after she was accused of “mom-shaming” a contestant.
“I’ve seen a lot of rumors going around the internet about Katy Perry possibly leaving idol and I don’t necessarily know what’s true and what’s not. Here’s what I know about @katyperry,” he wrote on an Instagram post earlier this month. “Katy is not a bully, nor does she shame people.”
Steele added, “Katy has an incredible ability to not just tell what emotional state you’re in, but to be able to tell what’s holding you back. I love all the judges, but Katy always seemed to be able to look into my soul and tell exactly what was troubling me, or what it was I was struggling with.”
Aside from seemingly mom-shaming Sarah Beth Liebe — who ultimately left the competition early — Perry was also booed by the audience for telling a contestant to lay off her signature glitter and called out by viewers for inflicting “psychological warfare” on other contestants when she tricked them into thinking they weren’t moving onto the next round.
Things seemed to reach a boiling point last month when sources told The Daily Mail that Perry wanted to quit the singing competition show as it was hurting her “legacy.”
“She went into it thinking she was going to foster young talent. For her good intentions to be misinterpreted it was not what she wanted,” the insider claimed. “She has accomplished so much in her career and is now being looked at as a nasty reality show judge.”
They added, “Katy’s wanted out for some time now, but this season was way too much for her to handle.”
It looks like we’ll just have to wait and see what happens!