


Katy Perry faced quite a bit of backlash this season for her strong opinions as a judge on American Idol. On one occasion, fans called her out for what they say was “mom-shaming” one contestant, and many were upset that she harshly criticized another for using too much glitter. Now, even though the season is over, fans are taking issue with her playful sense of humor, after a video posted to the American Idol Instagram page showed her acting like Catwoman.
In the short video, Perry’s fellow judge Lionel Richie announces, “We have Catwoman with us!” Perry takes that as her cue to do her best Eartha Kitt impression while pawing at judge Luke Bryan.
The goofy scene annoyed plenty of fans, who took to the comments to say things like, “We should never have a Judge acting like she did touching men on show,” and pitying the other judges for having to “deal with” her.
The harmless video had its fair share of detractors, but it also brought out plenty of other Perry-defenders, who commented, “Katy, please don’t listen to any of the negativity!…You are beautiful, hilarious and an amazing singer who knows what she’s talking about when judging!!”
Back in May, it was rumored that Perry wanted to quit the show after facing so much criticism this season, and for being portrayed as a “nasty judge.”
The backlash was so severe that Idol contestant Oliver Steele even came to her defense, writing a social media post that showered her with praise.
“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 is what I know about @katyperry,” Steele wrote. “Katy is not a bully, nor does she shame people. 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.”
Steele added, “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.”
Perry has been with American Idol since 2018, and she reportedly makes $25 million per season.