Featured Image Credit: ABC
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Film and TV, US News, Katy Perry
Emily Brown
An American Idol contestant who some viewers claimed was 'bullied' by Katy Perry has spoken out after the singer made a 'hurtful' comment during her audition.
Mum-of-three Sara Beth Liebe, 25, appeared in front of judges Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie to perform 'You Know I'm No Good' by Amy Winehouse on the show, but it wasn't her singing that viewers focused on when it was broadcast on TV.
Instead, many criticised the comments Perry had made during the audition, which included one comment relating to Liebe being a young mother. Hear Liebe's response below:
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The judges made a number of comments to Liebe during her time on the show, including commenting on her young appearance by saying telling the contestant: "You look 16."
When Liebe mentioned her three kids, Perry stood up out of her seat and said: "Honey, you been laying on the table too much."
Perry was hit with backlash from stunned viewers who accused the singer of 'mom shaming' Liebe, with one adding: "Insinuating that she has been 'laying on the table too much' to have 3 kids by age 25. A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down."
After the interview was broadcast, Liebe shared a TikTok video in which she described the incident as 'hurtful'.
"There was a 'joke; that was made that's gotten some attention," she said.
"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."
Liebe told viewers she didn't have 'too much to say' about her feelings on the comment, but described it as 'hurtful' and said it was 'embarrassing' to have on TV.
Rather than focusing too much on the comment, Liebe instead said she wanted to use the opportunity to say women 'supporting and uplifting other women' is 'so cool', while 'mom shaming is super lame'.
"I think that it's hard enough to be a mom and it's hard enough to be a woman... I see all of the young moms and just moms in general who have commented on all of the videos and posts... I see you and I hear you and I am so grateful for you," she added.
Liebe went on to encourage people to focus on loving their kids, saying: "Nobody deserves to feel crappy about that."
As well as the 'joke' about her being a young mother, Perry told Liebe she sang like it's 'not her dream yet' to be a singer, though she ultimately voted for the mum to go through and be sent to Hollywood.
UNILAD has reached out to representatives for Perry for comment.