With a massive fortune and even a stint as an astronaut, it’s fair to say pop star Katy Perry isn’t often seen as particularly “relatable.”
But some fans were taken aback after the 41-year-old I Kissed a Girl singer responded to a supporter who appeared to be struggling, with a message many viewed as lacking empathy.
Perry fan Ria posted on X about feeling overwhelmed financially and hinted they may have to part with their concert ticket.
“I so badly don’t wanna be here anymore. I’m not cut out for this world like I cannot afford to live at this rate and I’m so close to selling my Katy ticket.”
Perry — reported to be worth around $360 million, and whose latest tour has reportedly brought in $134 million in ticket sales — doesn’t frequently reply to fans online. However, she responded to Ria with a brief message that quickly drew attention.
“But I am looking forward to seeing you!”
After the reply went viral, critics accused Perry of being disconnected from the realities many fans face, and the backlash grew quickly across the platform.
“God, you are so out of touch. Someone is clearly going through it and your best response is ‘but im looking forward to seeing you!’. Gross. Do better.”
Another person argued that, if Perry wanted to show genuine care, she could have offered something more practical.
“If you ‘loved her’, you’d give her a VIP Meet and Greet Package and tell her to sell the ticket so she could have extra money to enjoy the show.
“This is so tone deaf lmao.”
Others noted that the exchange would be seen by fans worldwide who are stressed by rising costs and ongoing economic uncertainty, making the response feel even more jarring to them.
“Wow Katy, you’re clearly so out of touch! You just keep living your out-of-touch high life while everyone else is barely able to afford essentials (food, rent, insurance).”
Still, not everyone agreed the singer deserved the pile-on. Some argued that any public response from a celebrity can be interpreted negatively, and that helping openly would have triggered a different kind of criticism.
“You’d be calling her performative the second she helped publicly. You’re just looking for a reason to be mad,”
Ria, meanwhile, didn’t appear angered by Perry’s reply and responded enthusiastically to the interaction. Others also chimed in to celebrate that the singer had noticed them at all.
Ria replied ‘Thank you, was needed and I’m grateful for it.’
A day later, they posted again, saying they were surprised Perry had seen their message and adding that the moment might have had a positive ripple effect.
“Honestly didn’t expect to wake up to find Katy saw my tweet. How? I don’t know but I’m grateful and I hope it helps others too,” they said.