‘American Idol’ Contestant Tearfully Apologizes to Judge Katy Perry

American Idol contestant Nutsa took time to tearfully apologize to judge Katy Perry, following a previous tense moment with another contestant. It all started when 25-year-old Nutsa and her duet partner Carina Deangelo stood before the judge’s panel in last week’s episode. Deangelo accused Nutsa of sleeping through their practice time, to which the singer appeared stunned.

When addressing the two, Perry urged Nutsa to have “grace,” prompting the performer to have a sit-down with the judges this week. “I wanted to apologize because I felt very bad when you said to me ‘more grace, more grace’ and I wanted to tell also my side of the story,” Nutsa said, speaking directly to Perry. “And I felt so bad, I was, like, frozen. I didn’t want to bring negative energy, so that’s why I didn’t say nothing. I thought because I didn’t speak up and I could not speak because I didn’t want to cry on stage, but after I left the stage, I was destroyed, so I wanted to apologize for that.”

“What I meant by grace is that it’s OK to be determined and ambitious and edgy and strong, but also with grace,” Perry explained. “I really relate to you because I know what it means to be a strong woman, to really be strong and never break, to never feel like anything could get to me and that’s not real. I think they’re seeing you’re a real person with a big heart and a big talent.” Ultimately, Nutsa did progress in the competition, while Deangelo did not.

The current season of American Idol has been quite an eventful one for Perry. Earlier in the season, she wound up in a controversy over some comments she made to a contestant. During the audition rounds of the long-running musical competition series, Sara Beth Liebe auditioned for judges Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, singing Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.” 

A few days after the audition aired, Liebe took to social media to respond to Perry’s reaction to the fact that Liebe, 25, has three kids. When she revealed to the judges during her audition that she was a mom of three, Perry, 38, stood up and feigned shock, fanning herself and pretending to collapse on the judging table. “If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out,” Liebe said. “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” Perry jokingly responded.

In a TikTok video, Liebe said she was hurt by Perry’s comments. “There was a joke that was made that’s gotten a lot of attention, and I’ve gotten a lot of people reaching out to me asking how I’m feeling,” Liebe said. “Katy Perry made a joke that wasn’t super kind.” Liebe later chose to leave the competition.