An American Idol contestant said he felt "uncomfortable" when Katy Perry kissed him during his audition — after he told the judges he had never been kissed.
Benjamin Glaze, 20, of Oklahoma, auditioned for the show last October when he was 19, he told the New York Times.
In his audition, which aired this week, he broke the ice with the judges by telling them he had never been kissed. Perry immediately called him over to her, where he, turning red, gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.
Perry complained, so Glaze agreed to start over. When he leaned in the second time, Perry surprised him with a kiss on the lips. The teen fell over in surprise.
Glaze told the Times he was "a tad bit uncomfortable" by the kiss, and if Perry had asked to kiss him, he would have said no.
“I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’” he said. “But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Glaze appeared a bit flustered after the kiss, and took a sip of water before performing "Levels" by Nick Jonas. He did not make it to Hollywood.
This journey has just begun, Benjamin. A kiss for good luck from @katyperry and you’re on your way. #AmericanIdol https://t.co/k9YYLkLcXM
A lot of people who saw the moment raised eyebrows at Perry's behavior.
Imagine if a 33 year-old male artist tricked a 19 year-old female auditioner into a kiss like Katy Perry just did with that teenage guy. Would we all think it was cute? #AmericanIdol
They, too, felt uncomfortable watching the moment.
Anyone else watching Idol feel like Katy Perry pressured that poor kid into letting her kiss him on the cheek and violated him by planting one on his lips? Would not have been okay for a male celebrity to do to a young girl. #americanidol #katyperry #mencanbesexuallyharassedtoo
"Joking about it is enforcing rape culture that tells us that men can’t be sexually assaulted," said one person.
Hi just a friendly reminder that Katy Perry kissing this young man without his consent (he was saving his first kiss AND she tricked him into it) is a violation and assault! Joking about it is enforcing rape culture that tells us that men can’t be sexually assaulted. https://t.co/CyIe64Y5eO
Both the official Idol Twitter account and Perry herself made light of the moment after it aired.
💋#BenjaminGlaze #AmericanIdol
As did many media outlets.
Does Benjamin even need a ticket to Hollywood anymore?! He just got a sneak attack kiss from @katyperry! #AmericanIdol @LukeBryanOnline @LionelRichie @RyanSeacrest https://t.co/ncZ5lXaN7i
Despite his feelings, Glaze said he didn't feel harassed by Perry, and he has come to terms with the moment in the months since by talking to friends back home.
“They agreed with me that it didn’t really count,” he told the Times. “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about. That’s what a real first kiss is.”
Glaze also spoke out on Instagram, saying that he is grateful for the experience of the show and does not think he was sexually harassed by Katy Perry.
"I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it," he wrote, adding he doesn't think his "views have been appropriately communicated through the media."
Watch the full clip here:
