Katy Perry, one of the judges on the hit singing competition show “American Idol,” has recently been accused of “mom-shaming” a contestant on the show.
The incident occurred during the audition of 25-year-old Sara Beth Liebe, a mom of three from California. Liebe revealed to the three judges that her musical experience was limited to “karaoke with friends” and “church choir.”
Perry then asked “Is this your dream? Is it now? If it’s not your dream then you might need to leave because there’s a lot of dreams behind you.” When co-judge- Luke Bryan asked, “What do you have to lose?” Perry followed up with “Nothing. It’s not her dream yet.” She then encouraged Liebe to “take it to the limit” and “sing it like it’s your new dream.”
Liebe then sang “Benny and the Jets” and Perry referred to her as an “accidental American Idol” and said she felt like “a comic strip character just came to life.” Perry and Bryan ultimately gave Liebe a “yes” and she is now through to the next round.
However, fans of the show were quick to slam Perry for the way she spoke to Liebe. Many accused the judge of “mom-shaming” the contestant and some argued that her comments were “so ugly.”
One Twitter user said, “I was totally embarrassed by Katy Perry’s insulting attitude. This young girl has real talent and it is your job to enable her to see her true potential.”
I was totally embarrassed by Katy Perry’s insulting attitude. This young girl has real talent and it is your job to enable her to see her true potential.
— Mike Krei (@micmod12) March 6, 2023
Others, however, pointed out that this type of criticism is nothing new, as former judge Simon Cowell was known for his harsh critiques.
