Ruby Rose’s accusation was just the beginning: Since then, clips, statements and old cases have emerged that fundamentally question Katy Perry’s image.
Katy Perry is currently in the crossfire over several old and new allegations. The trigger was Ruby Rose’s latest accusation – but the debate quickly brought other episodes from Perry’s career to the surface.
Ruby Rose accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a Melbourne nightclub in 2010. Perry is said to have rubbed her vagina on Rose’s face. Perry’s team dismissed the allegations: “categorically false” and “dangerous, reckless lies.” The team also described Rose as someone who regularly made serious allegations, which those affected always rejected. This statement backfired: Since then, further reports of Perry’s cross-border behavior have emerged.
Old clips, new attention
In the wake of the Rose allegations, an old interview with Anna Kendrick resurfaced. Kendrick told Conan O’Brien in 2014 that Perry “showed off her chest” and used a finger to tease her cleavage during an encounter. She described this in a humorous, ironic tone and called Perry “aggressive.”
Social networks are now passing around the clip as further evidence of Perry’s cross-border demeanor. At the time, however, Kendrick did not present the scene as an accusation, but rather as a strange celebrity anecdote.
Teenage Dream and Justin Bieber
An older accusation from Josh Kloss also returns to the discussion. Kloss worked as a model in the “Teenage Dream” music video and claimed in 2019 that Perry pulled down his pants and underwear at a party and showed his penis in front of other people. Perry’s environment then put him under pressure not to speak about it publicly.
At the same time, a backstage video from 2012 went viral. It shows Perry after a concert in London: She holds Justin Bieber – who was around 18 at the time – laughing and finally roughly grabs his butt. In retrospect, many viewers read the video as border-violating, almost “groping”-like.
Feminism as a marketing question
At the same time, criticism of Perry’s more recent projects is growing. Your collaboration with Dr. Luke for “Woman’s World” sparked heavy criticism. The producer has been confronted with serious allegations from Kesha for years: She accuses him of psychologically and physically abusing her, intimidating her and keeping her financially dependent – over six years.
Perry publicly defended the cooperation. The song comes from her own experiences; She has worked with several contributors and stands behind the message as a mother and woman. But critics rated the video as cliched, over-the-top and tailored to the male gaze. This reinforced the impression that the message and imagery do not fit together.
There was also the much criticized Blue Origin trip with Jeff Bezos. Perry took part in the all-female space flight. Those involved marketed it as a historical, feminist moment – critics read it as a PR show by the billionaire system. Perry said afterward that the online reaction affected her.
All in all, the picture emerges of a pop star career that is currently told less about music than about controversy. Perry usually reacted to the allegations with defense, explanations or damage limitation – not with self-criticism or coming to terms with them.
