David Foster, the renowned music producer, has come under fire for his controversial remarks about his wife’s appearance during a performance that was captured and has recently resurfaced. Foster, 74, married singer Katharine McPhee in 2019, who is 35 years younger than him, following his split from Yolanda Hadid, the mother of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, in 2017.
The couple first crossed paths when Foster appeared as a guest mentor on season five of American Idol, where McPhee was competing. Although McPhee did not win, finishing as the runner-up to Taylor Hicks, she left a lasting impression. Their professional relationship evolved into a romantic one only after Foster’s marriage to Hadid had ended.
During a stage performance last year, McPhee reminisced about their first meeting: “You may not know but we met 17, almost 18 years ago when I was a little chubby and cheerful contestant on American Idol,” she addressed the audience. In response, Foster, sitting at the piano, remarked, “Oh yeah. You were fat.” While the comment drew laughter from the audience, it sparked a backlash online.
Online viewers expressed their discomfort and disapproval of Foster’s words. “This is a really tough watch,” commented one person, while another highlighted, “The fact that the audience laughed.” Further criticism came as someone else added, “The chubby/fat comments are ridiculous. Ugh. Lost some respect for them.” “Fat??? Wow. And we wonder why society is so screwed up,” expressed another disappointed viewer.
McPhee’s struggles with body image have been well-documented, and she has openly discussed her battles with an eating disorder, which began in middle school. In her recent discussions on the Informed Pregnancy Podcast, she shared the challenges she faced with body image during her pregnancy with her and Foster’s son, Rennie. “The biggest challenge for me through the pregnancy was really the body issue stuff just suddenly came up in a way that hadn’t been present in a long time,” she explained. She described the difficulty in distinguishing between her disorder-driven urges and legitimate bodily needs during the first trimester.
As this discussion unfolds, representatives for Foster and McPhee have been contacted for comments.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, support is available through the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). Their toll-free hotline at 1(888)-375-7767 is available Monday-Friday from 9am-9pm CST.