Woke pop star Katy Perry is being accused of being a “mean girl” and of “bullying” a mother-of-three contestant whose singing experience has come mainly in the form of singing in her church choir.
Perry, one of the judges on the somehow-still-airing American Idol franchise, took what she dubbed the “accidental” contestant Sara Beth Liebe to task and the internet did not like it.
Fans said Perry came across as rude and condescending after Perry questioned if performing on the show and gaining musical fame was really her dream and seemed taken aback that Liebe’s background consisted mostly of singing in a choir.
“Is this your dream?” Perry asked Liebe at one point, who appeared both surprised and rattled at the line of questioning. In the heat of the moment, she could only answer with an “um.”
“If it’s not your dream, you might need to leave because there’s a lot of dreams behind you,” Perry continued.
After the harsh exchange, the 25-year-old mother admitted she was “still processing” being away from her kids. And remember, this was all before she even actually had a chance to sing. She composed herself and then began singing her cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘You Know I’m No Good.’
Even after the performance, Perry did not relent. She was visibly unimpressed and implored her, saying “we [the judges] need more. That’s not enough. Try ‘Bennie and the Jets,’” she offered, suggesting the Elton John classic.
“Show us what your voice can do,” she went on. “Take it to the limit. No looking back. Sing it like it’s your new dream. More of that! Hold it out.”
At that point, she dubbed the young mother the “Accidental American Idol.” And she wasn’t even done with her at this point. Perry kept up with her verbal assault.
“Look, if it’s not your dream, it’s not gonna go far because I also respect everyone that’s walking through that door who will lay down their life for this golden ticket [to Hollywood],” she said
ABC viewers hit out at American Idol judge Katy Perry following her behaviour when contestant Sara Beth entered the studio https://t.co/gxWFvRePyC
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) March 6, 2023
In the end, none of the three judges voted to advance the 25-year-old Liebe to the next round. Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie joined Perry in casting a ‘no’ vote for the mother of three.
In fairness, our culture is too soft and too focused on participation trophies. If Liebe couldn’t stand up to the pressure of a forceful judge, it seems unlikely she’d be able to endure the onslaught of media coverage, fan opinions, and whatever else gets thrown at celebrities.
For what it’s worth, Perry might have been doing the young mother a favor. “If this is what you really want, be prepared to fight for it,” she might as well have said.
Still, Twitter did not appreciate how the matter was handled.
Katy. Come back down to reality,” one account posted.
“Katy Perry being a mean girl to Sara Beth,” another user added.
While another asked, “Why was Katy bullying that girl?”
One account tweeted, “Boo to Katy Perry for mom shaming Sara Beth. Insinuating that she has been ‘laying on the table too much’ to have 3 kids by age 25. A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down. #AmericanIdol.”
“I just wish Katy wouldn’t have been so nasty to her,” another added. “She was rude and kept on and on about it until Sara left! She is a little too much at times.”
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