Katy Perry Gets Booed on 'American Idol' for the First Time After Criticizing Contestant's Performance
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"Yes! Katy got booed. Katy got booed," exclaimed Luke Bryan on Monday's episode after Perry suggested Nutsa Buzaladze tone down her performance style
Katy Perry heard the audience "Roar" during Monday's episode of American Idol — and not in a positive way.
After top 26 contestant Nutsa Buzaladze delivered a high-energy performance of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' "Paris (Ooh La La)" in Hawaii, Perry offered up some criticism and got booed by the crowd at Disney's Aulani resort.
Before the 25-year-old Tbilisi, Georgia native took the stage, she received some advice from guest mentor Noah Cyrus. "She's got this diva energy. Her movement, her dancing — I think that's her vibe," said the singer-songwriter. "But I thought it would be cool to watch her be a singer and then tell a story."
Buzaladze then performed "Paris (Ooh La La)" in a sparkly dress and boots with powerhouse vocals and dramatic movements, shimmying her shoulders and finishing with a rockstar-esque backbend on the floor.
Judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan praised the contestant for her signature performance style, with the "All Night Long (All Night)" musician telling her, "That was just so wonderful to watch."
Perry, 38, however, suggested that she tone it down. "Nutsa, every time you take the stage, it's like you glitter bomb the stage," she said. "Listen, I think one thing I personally would like to see from you is not one piece of glitter the next time. I know that's gonna be hard."
The Grammy nominee then received ravenous boos from the crowd, and Richie, 73, commented, "Whoa, hostility!"
"Yes! Katy got booed. Katy got booed," exclaimed Bryan, 46.
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"OK, first time in six seasons, woo-hoo!" replied Perry, unfazed by the audience's passionate reaction. "But what I'm saying is that, I'd like you to flip the script. I think we want to be pulled in by our hearts too. I'd love to see that, and I think America might too."
Buzaladze laughed off the criticism and seemed to appreciate the "Teenage Dream" musician's opinion. "Thank you so much. This is a dream come true," she said before exiting the stage.
Perry's experience on this season of American Idol hasn't been without its rough moments. Earlier this month, contestant Sara Beth Liebe quit the competition to be with her three young children after making waves by calling out Perry's "mom-shaming" comment during her audition.
Liebe, 25, made it through her first audition with ease, though she later shared a TikTok that expressed her frustrations with a joke in which Perry quipped Liebe had been "laying on the table too much."
During a later episode, Perry was entirely on the contestant's side and did her best to convince her to stick around after making it to the next round of the competition.
"Sara Beth, I know life is scary," she told Liebe. "I also know that it's easier to walk away than to be rejected. But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential and I know that you love your family for your kids. I know that as a mother. But remember, self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don't leave the competition."
After an impressive performance of The Police's "Roxanne," Liebe abruptly told the judges that she was walking away.
RELATED VIDEO: Katy Perry Tries to Convince 'Idol' Contestant Sara Beth Liebe to Stay on Show After Mom-Shaming Accusations
"This opportunity is really rad but this is actually gonna be my last performance 'cause my heart's at home," she told the trio. "So I'm gonna get home to my babies, they kind of need me. So thank you, thanks."
The judges were clearly shocked, as Richie asked, "What the heck is going on?" and Perry took it upon herself to convince Liebe to stay.
Still, the singer remained certain she made the right choice, telling a producer: "I feel like I'm not gonna win the show anyway, so I might as well go home. Seeing all the talent, a big part of me feels like I'm not cut out for show business. I feel like, yeah, I don't know."
Liebe did return to the stage in order for the judges to reveal that she had advanced to the next round, and though Perry tried one last time to get her to stay, she declined.
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"Hey girl. You've opened a door you never thought you would open," Perry told her. "And you got a yes. And you may get another yes in the future. Do not give up."
Though Liebe told Perry "I appreciate you" before leaving the stage, she later explained her decision one final time.
"I'm really humbled and grateful, and Katy had some really nice things to say. It'd be nice if my kids were a little older," she said. "I understand how big of an opportunity this is, I still kind of want to go home. I'm sure that when I get home I'll regret it. I'll probably go, 'Damn Sara, you should've stayed, and you should've done it.'"
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