Luke Bryan came to Katy Perry’s defense amidst the widespread backlash she faced during the entirety of season 21 as a fellow judge on American Idol.
Perry, who became a part of Idol in 2017, faced several controversies throughout season 21. The popular singer drew criticism for allegedly “mom-shaming” contestant Sarah Beth Liebe in March, when she made a remark about Liebe having three children at the age of 25. Additionally, Perry received negative reactions from the audience when she advised a contestant to tone down the glitter in their attire.
During a recent Fox News interview, Luke Bryan expressed admiration for Perry, noting that the scrutiny comes along with their job.
“Katy Perry’s been dealing with stuff like that her whole career,” he said. “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.”
“I think we get set up. As judges, you know, we kinda fall on the sword a lot of times,” he added. “And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff. 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.”
This show is not for the faint of 💚 Watch #idol for the Top 20 reveal and keep your phone charged to vote after the show 🗳️📱
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) April 23, 2023
📸: @BiancaNicdao pic.twitter.com/SCIiI57hI4
After accusing Perry of engaging in “mom-shaming” through a now deleted TikTok video, Liebe made the decision to withdraw from the competition. Despite this, Perry made efforts to persuade Liebe to reconsider. Declining Perry’s plea, Liebe ultimately chose to withdraw from the competition. However, in a statement, Liebe expressed gratitude towards the show and Perry, indicating that their relationship remained friendly.
“Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show,” he said. “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.”
He continued by saying that “It makes me appreciate her even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that her whole career.”
