It’s no question. It takes thick skin to succeed in the entertainment world. And, with the advent of social media, there’s no escaping negative attention regardless of how big of a star one is. As the old saying goes, you can’t please everyone. And Katy Perry knows that to be true.
Luke Bryan Speaks Out To Defend Katy Perry
Luckily, the pop superstar, 38, has good friend Luke Bryan, 46, to come to her defense when facing backlash over her role as a judge on American Idol.
The popular singing competition series completed its 21st season in late May, naming Hawaii-born Pacific Islander Iam Tongi as the winner. But throughout the season, Perry faced criticism from the viewers for how she treated some contestants.
While speaking to Fox News, Luke Bryan spoke highly of Katy Perry, and also commended her for overcoming harsh criticisms throughout her career as a judge and a celebrity.
“Katy Perry’s been dealing with stuff like that her whole career,” Bryan, who has judged American Idol alongside Perry and Lionel Richie for half a decade, told PEOPLE. “We all get it… I mean. We’re judging kids that people at home fall in love with. We’re not gonna bat 1,000 as judges.”
Bryan also noted the responsibility and pressures that judges face when being on reality television shows like American Idol.
“I think we get set up. As judges, you know, we kind of fall on the sword a lot of times. And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff,” Bryan said. “My thing is, I think when me and Lionel and Katy sit down at the desk, in our hearts, we’re doing the best we can.”
“We feel like we’re doing beautiful work as a whole, and we felt like this year was what we had all worked together to get to,” he added.
Perry Reportedly Made Comments Deemed Inappropriate By Idol Contestants
Three particular moments during this season, in which Perry made comments that fans deemed inappropriate, involved mother of three, Sara Beth Liebe, Georgia-born Soviet actress, Nutsa Buzaladze, and Top 5 contestant Wé Ani.
During Liebe’s Idol audition, which seemed to spark the most heat, Perry – a mother of two – made a comment that went viral and had fans accusing her of mom-shaming. She told the hopeful: “Honey. You’ve been laying on the table too much.”
“Is this your dream? If it’s not your dream, you might need to leave because there are a lot of dreams behind you,” Perry also told Liebe.
“Right, literally. I’m still processing. I can’t even answer,” Liebe said.
Sara Beth Liebe Slammed Perry
Liebe, who ended up bowing out of the competition voluntarily during Hollywood Week, took to TikTok after her run on the show to address Perry’s comments calling them both “embarrassing” and “hurtful.”
“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,” she said. “I see all of the young moms and just moms in general … keep loving your babies. Nobody deserves to feel crappy about 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.”
Making light of Perry’s outward personality, Bryan added, “Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show. You can’t be so safe in the moment that you’re so homogenized. You can’t ever go for a joke or go for a fun moment. Sometimes you just gotta say stuff. It may be my year next year. It makes me appreciate [Katy] even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that her whole career.”
Idol finalist Oliver Steele Also Spoke Out On Katy Perry’s Behalf
And while Perry may have caused some emotions to arise within the cast, not all the contestants feel the same way. As with Bryan, Oliver Steele, who made it into the Top 8 this season on Idol, also spoke in support of the “Firework” star.
“Katy is not a bully, nor does she shame people,” he wrote a lengthy message on Instagram that included selfies with Perry. “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.”
“It’s one thing to teach someone to believe in their ability, which the judges are fabulous at. Katy reminded me to believe in who I am as an artist. She challenged me to push myself, to take on challenges that made me uncomfortable,” he added. I’m a better musician and artist after Katy Perry pushed me to believe in my potential and to exceed my limitations. @katyperry I dunno if you’ll see this, but I hope you stay on American Idol. You’re a guiding light and an incredible teacher. And you made me believe that I am my own hero. Thank you for everything. ❤️”
American Idol Return For Season 24
At this point, Season 24 of American Idol does not have an exact premiere date, and it’s unclear whether all judges will be returning for a new season. However, Bryan confirms with PEOPLE he will remain a judge as long as “the vibe feels like we’re onward and upward.”
ABC also revealed that American Idol has been renewed for another season and will return sometime in 2024.
