From fireworks to spaceships: how Katy Perry fell from public favor
The once-beloved pop singer has been the target of recent criticism, but how far back does her history go?
By Michael Doyle
In the late 2000s, “Teenage Dream” star Katy Perry dominated the music industry with her femininity, vulnerability and youthful rebellious spirit. She became pop culture’s sweetheart through songs like “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked it” and it was impossible not to hear her music everywhere you went. Perry would go on to perform at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, be a judge on American Idol and most recently be a part of the first all-female space flight since 1963.
The space flight has been the biggest controversy of Perry’s in a growing list of them, with comments from fans and celebrities all criticizing the publicity stunt for a lack of self-awareness.
The Blue Origin NS-31 flight took place on April 14 and lasted merely 10 minutes and 21 seconds. The flight was organized by Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Blue Origin founder and the second richest person in the world. While the price of the flight has remained private, actress Olivia Munn called the flight gluttonous, pointing out the costly expense of space travel as people in America struggle to afford groceries.
Bezos’ involvement has been criticized as well due to the crew members promoting feminism and power, while Bezos’s company Amazon donated towards President Trump’s inauguration fund. Trump recently signed an Executive Order to end the use of Federal taxpayer money towards elective abortion, making the tagline of feminism on the Blue Origin flight feel contradictory to some.
Perry’s involvement with Bezos comes months after endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, where Perry said “I’ve always known her to fight for the most vulnerable, to speak up for the voiceless, and to protect our rights as women to make decisions about our own bodies” in a video posted by MSNBC.
Perry’s choice to promote her upcoming tour while on the flight can come off as selfish and revealing of her chosen priorities. This explains much of the criticism she has received, with some fans feeling betrayed.
The flight is the latest event that has shifted the public’s view of Perry, however it’s far from her first public letdown.
Her latest album, “143,” received poor reception from critics, with Pitchfork writer Rich Juzwiak stating, “The popstar confidently returns with very little to say.” It would be unrealistic to expect Perry to get back to her days of chart domination, but as she begins her first worldwide tour in eight years, she seems to be carrying the wrong momentum in the public eye.
Perry’s current “Lifetimes Tour” has thus far contained major themes of space, ranging from her outfits to her choreography. This heavy reliance makes the flight seem like nothing more than one of the most expensive publicity and advertisement stunts ever.
Perry’s controversies go further back than the recent space flight. In 2018, Perry was accused of sexual misconduct while serving as a judge on American Idol. Perry kissed 19-year-old contestant Benjamin Glaze on the lips without his consent, sparking conversations of double standards.
“I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately,” he told The New York Times. “I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
A year later in 2019, Josh Kloss, who co-starred in the “Teenage Dream” music video, accused her of sexual misconduct and alleged that she pulled his pants and underwear down at a party around the time of the music video.
In 2015, Perry was seeking to purchase a former convent in Los Angeles that was owned by members of the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Two elderly nuns, Sister Rita Callanan and Sister Catherine Rose Holzman wanted to sell the property to somebody else, with Perry inciting a years-long legal battle that ultimately resulted in the sisters being relocated against their will.
The battle caught major headlines in 2018 when Sister Holzman died in court at the age of 89, hours after telling a FOX affiliate that Perry’s persistence is “not doing anyone any good except hurting a lot of people.”
Perry also faced backlash while judging for American Idol due to her treatment of multiple contestants. In 2023, Perry told contestant Sara Beth Liebe “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” after learning she was a mother of three children as a 25-year-old.
Liebe later posted in a now-deleted TikTok her response to the comments, noting that women uplifting other women is important and that shaming moms is destructive. While finalist Oliver Steele defended Perry against accusations of bullying in a post shared to Instagram, the interaction between Perry and Liebe is up to Liebe to decide if Perry’s words were harmful.
As Perry’s “Lifetimes Tour” continues throughout the year, it will be hard for her to win back the love that the public had for her at the beginning of her career. Perry has not made this easier and her continued response to the criticism throughout the rest of the tour will likely dictate the future of her career.
