Katy Perry Praises Taylor Swift for Political Instagrams (EXCLUSIVE)

Taylor Swift shocked her fans (and Washington, D.C. for that matter) when she broke her silence on politics last month, endorsing two Tennessee democrats on Instagram.

Katy Perry was one of the first to “like” the post, fueling speculation that the bad blood between the two pop megastars has finally come to an end.

And now, Perry is speaking out about Swift’s public political endorsements.

“She’s setting a great example,” Perry exclusively told Variety on Thursday night at amfAR Gala Los Angeles, where the “Firework” singer was honored with a Courage Award.

Swift and Perry’s relationship has been on a rollercoaster of sorts over the last few years. Perry began to smooth things out when she sent Swift an olive branch and a letter in May before the start of Swift’s Reputation tour.

Earlier this week, Swift posted another message to her 112 million Instagram followers about early voting with a link to vote.org’s calendar.

Swift wrote in her initial post, “In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now, I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.”

She then added, “I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives.”

Instagram Photo
Instagram Photo

Perry is no stranger to politics. She was an outspoken and very active supporter of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid. She not only hosted fundraisers for the former Secretary of State, but Clinton also used her song “Roar” in campaign ads. Perry has also said that her politically charged song “Chained to the Rhythm,” written about a week after the election, was influenced by Donald Trump’s win.

Meanwhile, Perry revealed that she received a very thoughtful gift for her amfAR honor from fellow “American Idol” judge Lionel Richie. “Lionel sent me a big bouquet of flowers and a box of chicken nuggets for tonight,” she told Variety. “He knew I would need a snack.”

As for their upcoming second season of “Idol,” Perry said, “I think it was pretty successful so just times it by two. It’s all spontaneous and the chemistry with Luke [Bryan] and Lionel is spectacular.”

Related stories

Idris Elba Joins Taylor Swift in 'Cats' Movie Adaptation

Shamrock Capital Acquires Stargate's Publishing, Includes Hits by Rihanna, Beyonce, Katy Perry

Departing Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom: I Have a Few More Instagrams in Me

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!