‘American Idol’ Judge Lionel Richie Reacts to Katy Perry’s Pregnancy Announcement

Lionel Richie couldn’t be happier for fellow American Idol judge Katy Perry and her fiancé, Orlando Bloom, after the songstress announced Wednesday night that she was expecting her first child. Revealing the news in her “Never Worn White” music video, which ends with a shot of her cradling a baby bump, Perry wrote on Instagram, “Let’s just say it’s gonna be a jam packed summer… #NeverWornWhite is out now.”

Richie, who has gotten close with Perry after three seasons as judges on the Idol reboot, was quick to leave a supportive message, writing alongside heart and prayer hand emojis, “So wonderful [Katy Perry] & [Orlando Bloom]!”

Third American Idol judge Luke Bryan also weighed in about Perry’s mothering skills to PEOPLE shortly before the “Harleys in Hawaii” singer made the news publicly.

“She’s going to be a blast to have as a mom,” Bryan said last month. “I couldn’t imagine growing up in her household. Even when I talk about me and my kids, she’s checking out how I juggle the kids. We’ll see one day if it ever happens how she’ll respond, but I know she’s going to be an amazing mom.”

Perry has been open about wanting to be a mother since she and her British actor beau got engaged on Valentine’s Day 2019.

“Well, it wasn’t on accident,” she said of her pregnancy in a interview with SiriusXM’s Mikey Piff on Thursday. “I’m so grateful for everything that I have been able to do and achieve and all the goals that I’ve been kind of able to check off my list and dreams and the life I’ve lived thus far, and I think I’ve just been trying to create this space in my own life where I’m not running myself too ragged and like, you know, creating space for something new to happen like this. And I think we were both looking forward to this new interval of life and sharing this, so, that’s kind of how it happens, you know?”

That doesn’t mean she’ll be taking a step back from her career, revealing she will also be releasing her new album this summer.

“I’m sure it will be an untraditional way, but look, I’m joining the force of working moms out there,” she said. “And that is a very strong force. And I love what I do and it doesn’t feel like work and it brings me so much joy, so I just want to continue that state of joy.”

Photo credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images