Fans are feeling very hot n cold about the singer these days.

From fireworks to spaceships and mom-shaming: A breakdown of Katy Perry’s biggest controversies over the years

Fans are feeling very hot n cold about the singer these days.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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April 16, 2026 2:02 p.m. ET

Katy Perry. Credit:

Blue Origin/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

- Katy Perry has been caught up in various controversies in recent years.

- They include mom-shaming allegations and a tone-deaf excursion into space.

- Most recently, Ruby Rose accused the singer of sexually assaulting her nearly 20 years ago.

Like a plastic bag drifting through the wind, Katy Perry is probably wishing she could start again.

The past few years have included a whirlwind of controversies for the internationally famous pop star. Perry has no doubt solidified herself in pop music history, thanks to classics like "Firework," "California Gurls," and "Teenage Dream," but lately that goodwill has been forgotten as she has become the subject of social media ire that sees her being raked over the coals for everything from real estate disputes to a controversial trip into space, funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. But at least she'll always have the memes.

As it grows increasingly difficult to figure out why the internet is mad at Katy Perry on any given day, * *is examining the singer's biggest controversies and social media scandals of the past few years.

That time Katy dressed as a Geisha

Katy Perry performing at the 2013 American Music Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty

In 2013, Perry raised quite a few eyebrows after opening the American Music Awards by styling herself as a Geisha girl for a performance of "Unconditionally." She dressed in a custom kimono and performed on a stage intricately decorated with cherry blossoms, a Shinto shrine and taiko drummers. Her outfit was completed with white powder make-up and a black wig. Needless to say the backlash was swift and angry: social media users accused the singer of yellowface and cultural appropriation while outlets penned such headlines as, "Was Katy Perry's AMA performance racist?"

Perry addressed the controversy in 2017, admitting, "In my intention to appreciate Japanese culture, I did it wrong with a performance, and I didn’t know that I did it wrong until I heard people saying I did it wrong."

She added that she felt "grateful to have great teachers and great friends" to hold her accountable.

Sexual misconduct allegations from Josh Kloss

Josh Kloss — who appeared in Perry’s "Teenage Dream"* *music video — accused the singer in 2019 of physically exposing him in public without his consent. The actor claimed that they were at a party at a skating rink when Perry pulled down his trousers, exposing his genitalia to friends. Perry denied his claims.

"I think we live in a world where anyone can say anything," Perry told *The Guardian* in 2020, after news of Kloss' allegation broke. "I don’t want to say 'guilty until proven innocent' but there's no checks and balances: a headline just flies, right? And there’s no investigation of what it is."

Her court conflict with a pair of nuns

In a debacle with impossibly bad PR, Perry spent several years embroiled in a legal battle with two nuns, Sister Catherine Rose and Sister Rita Callanan, of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Per the BBC, the drama began when Perry agreed to buy their sprawling 8-acre former convent for $14.5 million in 2015. The Sisters allegedly backed out, claiming they were uncomfortable handing the property over to Perry.

The singer, who has a tattoo of Jesus, reportedly visited the nuns and sung them a hymn to win them over. They remained unconvinced.

"I found her videos. I wasn't happy with any of it" Sister Callanan told the *Los Angeles Times *of the singer whose hits include "I Kissed a Girl."

The nuns instead sold the residence to local restaurant owner Dana Hollister. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles later argued that they did not have the right to sell the property since Perry had already been approved. This prompted Perry, backed by the archdiocese, to sue the Sisters.

In 2018, the situation took a turn for the worse when Sister Holzman, 89, collapsed and died when she was attending a post-judgement hearing related to the case.

The real estate battle that inspired elder abuse reform

Katy Perry in 2024.

Charley Gallay/Getty

The nuns were just the beginning of Perry's real estate woes. The singer and her ex-fiancé Orlando Bloom would later find themselves wrapped up in a high-profile legal battle with Carl Westcott, the 86-year-old disabled veteran and millionaire founder of 1-800-Flowers.

Per PEOPLE, Perry and Bloom originally purchased a 9,285-square-foot home from Wescott in July 2020 for $15 million. Days after the deal was finalized, Wescott claimed that he had been recovering from spinal surgery at the time of the agreement. He then filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the sale of his eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom Santa Barbara, Calif., mansion.

The case inspired the creation of the Katy PERRY Act, a 2023 bill meant to address "the risks of elder financial abuse, especially as it relates to property and real estate sales and transfers." Perry ultimately won her countersuit and was awarded $1.8 million in damages due to loss of potential rental income.

The “blackface” shoes

In 2019, the singer came under fire for a shoe design in her Katy Perry Collections fashion line. The shoes, which came as sandals and loafers, were black and designed with a face featuring prominent red lips. After online commenters pointed out their resemblance to images of blackface, the shoes were removed from the collections.

Perry addressed the controversy in a statement, sharing that the design was "envisioned as a nod to modern art and surrealism."

She added, "I was saddened when it was brought to my attention that it was being compared to painful images reminiscent of blackface. Our intention was never to inflict any pain."

’American Idol’ bullying and mom-shaming allegations

Katy Perry on 'American Idol'. Eric McCandless/ABC

Perry spent seven years as a judge on *American Idol*, and stirred plenty of drama during her time on the panel. In 2023, the "Roar" singer was criticized over a comment she made to contestant Sara Beth Liebe. After the 25-year-old said she was a mother of three, Perry remarked, "Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much."

The comment was quickly seized upon as insensitive, and a few weeks later, despite progressing forward in the competition, Liebe dropped out of* American Idol,* citing her desire to return home to her children. When Liebe was quitting, Perry tried to convince her to stay and afterwards said, “Man that sucks. It's not easy for anyone. Everyone has their own story."

Liebe later addressed commenters accusing Perry of mom-shaming her, sharing in a now-deleted TikTok video, "It was hurtful and that’s that. I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman."

Another contestant, Oliver Steele, defended Perry amid the drama, saying the singer “is not a bully, nor does she shame people.”

That same year, Perry was booed by the show's live audience over her criticism of contestant Nutsa Buzaladze, whom she told to tone down her performance.

First kiss gone wrong

Also during Perry's tenure on *American Idol*, the singer was called out for kissing contestant Benjamin Glaze. During his audition on the show's 16th season in 2018, the 19-year-old revealed that he had never been kissed, prompting Perry to call him over for a peck on the cheek. However, when he got close to her face, she turned at the last second to kiss him on the lips.

The interaction made headlines, with critics slamming Perry over the deception. Later, Glaze told the *New York Times* that while he did not feel sexually harassed, he felt "a tad bit" uncomfortable in the moment.

"Would I have done it if she said, 'Would you kiss me?' No, I would have said no," he told the publication. "I know a lot of guys would be like, 'Heck yeah!' But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special."

Glaze did not make it past the audition round of the show, and six years later, he was arrested in Oklahoma on a charge of aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material. In 2025, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years, with 15 years served in custody, and 10 years suspended, and he must register as a sex offender.

”Woman’s World” feat. Dr. Luke

Katy Perry and Dr. Luke in 2014.

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Perry launched a comeback of sorts in 2024, with the release of her self-described female empowerment anthem "Woman's World." But for several reasons, the song was not very well received.

The single was generally panned by critics for having a simplistic approach to feminism, while the video, featuring Perry as a sexy Rosie the Riveter, similarly underwhelmed. But the biggest issue plaguing its rollout was the fact that the song was produced by Dr. Luke, the controversial music mogul sued by Kesha over sexual assault allegations. (He has denied the claims, and the two reached a legal settlement in 2023.)

Perry was criticized for working with Dr. Luke and the misfire was all the more ironic given the feminist angle of the single. Perry later defended her decision to work with the producer, noting that Dr. Luke was one of several collaborators from earlier in her career who played a role in shaping the album’s themes. She did not comment on the allegations directly.

Her foray into space tourism

Katy Perry on the Blue Origin flight.

In 2025, Perry was among a gaggle of celebrities who participated in the all-female Blue Origin trip, which saw them voyage into space for an 11-minute flight. Funded by billionaire Amazon CEO Bezos, the trip was heavily criticized as a tone-deaf venture at a time of economic strain in the U.S. Perry was later turned into a meme for her reaction to touching down on Earth: after exiting the space shuttle, she theatrically kissed the ground and remarked about feeling "super connected to love," which was endlessly made fun of online.

In the aftermath, Perry said she felt like a "human Piñata," as fans and several fellow celebs weighed in, slamming the participants and cracking jokes about the rumored price tag and environmental impact of the trip.

Perry vs. Perry

Just last month, Perry lost a 17-year legal battle waged against Australian fashion designer Katie Taylor (née Perry). The conflict began in May 2009, when Taylor attempted to register the "Katie Perry" trademark for the sale of her clothes, months after the singer had topped charts with her debut single, "I Kissed a Girl." Perry filed a notice of opposition to the registration of Taylor's trademark and sent cease-and-desist letters to the Australian designer.

Taylor, whose maiden name is Perry, filed a lawsuit claiming a right to sell clothes under her own name. She likened the suit to a "David vs Goliath" battle, and indeed, Perry was criticized for using her power and status against the non-celebrity designer. In March, an Australian high court ruled that Taylor has a right to sell clothes under her own name.

Ruby Rose’s nightclub allegations

Ruby Rose; Katy Perry.

Sam Tabone/Getty; Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

Perry's latest controversy emerged this week, when *Batwoman* star Ruby Rose accused the singer of sexually assaulting her nearly 20 years ago. Rose claimed the incident occurred at a Melbourne, Australia, nightclub when the 40-year-old actor* *was in her 20s.

"She saw me 'resting' on my best friends lap to avoid her and bent down, pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting vagina on my face until my eyes snapped open and I projectile vomited on her," Rose alleged in since-deleted posts on Threads. "It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly. Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes."

In response, a representative for Perry told **, "The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies."

The rep added: "Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named."

Australian authorities have since opened an investigation into Perry.

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