An American Idol finalist is rallying behind series judge Katy Perry amid the bullying allegations.
Oliver Steele, a 24-year-old singer, made it to the Top 8 of Season 21 of American Idol, and he recently took to Instagram to defend Katy against bullying accusations and address rumors that she is leaving the show.
"I've seen a lot of rumors going around the internet about Katy Perry possibly leaving Idol, and I don't necessarily know what’s true and what's not," his caption began. "Here is what I know about @katyperry. Katy is not a bully, nor does she shame people."
Oliver went on to describe how Katy actually helped him gain confidence throughout the process. "I remember being nervous at my audition, nervous during Hollywood week, hell even nervous throughout various points in the competition," he said.
Oliver suggested that Katy was able to connect with him on a deeper level and singled her out from the other two judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. "Katy has an incredible ability to not just tell what emotional state you're in, but to be able to tell what's holding you back. I love all the judges, but Katy always seemed to be able to look into my soul and tell exactly what was troubling me, or what it was I was struggling with."
"It's one thing to teach someone to believe in their ability, which the judges are fabulous at. Katy reminded me to believe in who I am as an artist," Oliver added. "She challenged me to push myself, to take on challenges that made me uncomfortable. I'm a better musician and artist after Katy Perry pushed me to believe in my potential, and to exceed my limitations."
"I dunno if you'll see this, but I hope you stay on American Idol," Oliver wrote. "You’re a guiding light, an incredible teacher. And you made me believe that I am my own hero. Thank you for everything. ❤️"
Oliver's defense of Katy comes after she was accused of making a "mom-shaming" comment about another American Idol contestant during the season's earlier auditions.
When contestant Sara Beth Liebe revealed she was a 25-year-old mother of three, a comedically overwhelmed Katy pretended to lie down on the judge's table, which prompted Sara to say, "If Katy lays on the table, I think I'm going to pass out."
Katy then replied, "Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much!"
Sara later shared, in a now-deleted TikTok, how she felt about the TV moment: "At the start of my audition — before I sang — I mentioned that I had three children and was a young mother, and Katy Perry made a joke that wasn't super kind."
Katy did admit there were "intense" moments this season during an appearance on The View, but she has yet to directly comment on the accusations. We'll update you when she does.
