Katy Perry has spoken out about feeling “battered and bruised” following backlash to her recent Blue Origin space flight.
The 40-year-old singer addressed critics in a lengthy statement posted on a fan account yesterday, where she described how the “online world” had tried to make her a “human piñata”.
Perry reassured fans she is “okay” despite the criticism, saying she would continue to “keep looking to the light”.
Earlier this month, Perry took part in an all-female Blue Origin space flight that lasted just 11 minutes.
The trip included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sánchez, TV personality Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn and scientists Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen.
The voyage has been “widely panned” and “much-derided” according to reports, with some critics calling it “frivolous” due to its “exorbitant cost”.
The backlash was part of what Perry described as a challenging period following the release of her album 143 last year.
In her statement, Perry shared advice from her therapist that had been “a game changer” for her: “No one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself.”
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The singer explained her approach to online criticism, commenting: “When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love.”
She added that she knows “many people are hurting” and described the internet as “very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed.”
Perry’s statement came after fans showed their support by funding a billboard in New York’s Times Square.
The billboard congratulated her on completing the first week of her Lifetimes Tour, which began in Mexico City on April 23.
“@katyperry has taught us that love is the key that opens every door,” wrote fan account Katy Perry Brasil alongside a video of the display.
In response, Perry expressed her gratitude: “I’m so grateful for you guys. We’re in this beautiful and wild journey together.”
Perry described what she considers “real” in contrast to online criticism: “What’s real is seeing your faces every night, singing in unison, reading your notes, feeling your warmth.”
She mentioned finding people to “lock eyes and sing with” during performances, saying: “I know we are healing each other in a small way.”
The singer is currently on her Lifetimes Tour, with her next concert scheduled for May 7 in Houston, Texas.
Perry concluded her message with a reflection on her journey: “I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with an audience of many and sometimes I fall but… I get back up.”
Despite her “battered and bruised adventure”, the singer emphasised her determination to continue forward.
“I keep looking to the light and in that light a new level UNLOCKS,” she wrote. (sic)
