Why Katy Perry Reportedly Wants to Quit ‘American Idol’

Following the American Idol Season 21 finale, it is reported that Katy Perry wants to quit the show. According to the Daily Mail, the pop star-turned-Idol judge is frustrated with how she was perceived over the course of the new season, following multiple controversies regarding her alleged behavior toward contestants. A source who spoke with the outlet stated that the singer’s breaking point was when she was booed by the show’s live audience.

“Katy feels like [the producers] threw her under the bus,” the source said. “She feels like her comments could have been removed.” The insider added, “Katy became aware of the harsh criticism. Getting booed really upset her. She was trying to stay in her lane, do her job and go home. She went into it thinking she was going to foster young talent. For her good intentions to be misinterpreted it was not what she wanted.” The source then offered, “She has accomplished so much in her career and is now being looked at as a nasty reality show judge. Katy’s wanted out for some time now, but this season was way too much for her to handle.”

Early in the season, Perry wound up in a controversy over some comments she made to a contestant Sara Beth Liebe when she auditioned. 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.

Later, Perry found herself on the wrong end of an angry American Idol crowd after a comment she made got her booed for the first time in six seasons. The jarring moment came — ET reported — when Perry offered some criticism to Nutsa, a 25-year-old contestant, who had glitter as part of her performance. This did not sit well with Perry and she made her position known.

“Nutsa, every time you take the stage, it’s like you glitter bomb the stage,” Perry said after Nutsa’s performance. “Listen, I think one thing I personally would like to see from you is not one piece of glitter the next time. I know that’s gonna be hard.” 

However, the audience did not like this suggestion and they let Perry know by booing her very loudly. Perry’s fellow judge Lionel Richie replied, “Whoa, hostility,” while Luke Bryan got some joy out of the moment, exclaiming, “Yes! Katy got booed. Katy got booed.” Notably, there is no official word from Perry’s reps or American Idol producers that the judge is actively seeking to exit the show.