“American Idol” fans are scrutinizing Katy Perry, 38, for how she treated contestant Sara Beth Liebe, a happy-go-lucky 25-year-old mother of three, on Sunday’s episode of the singing competition singing.
The red-headed, quirky California native openly admitted that she’s not much of a musician except in her church choir and on karaoke nights.
Perry, who made an off-color remark about being such a young three-time mom, loudly interjected, “Is this your dream?”
“Um,” the seemingly already nervous Liebe muttered.
“If it’s not your dream, you might need to leave because there’s a lot of dreams behind you,” Perry said.
A flustered Liebe revealed that she was “still processing” being away from her kids to stand in front of Perry, as well as fellow judges Lionel Richie, 73, and Luke Bryan, 46, as the “Teenage Dream” singer nudged her to perform a song.
“Freak us out, Freaky Friday,” Perry said.
Liebe first sang Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” as an unimpressed Perry interrupted, “Come on, we need more,” as Liebe continued.
“That’s not enough,” Perry determined at the song’s end. “Try ‘Bennie and the Jets,’” she instructed, claiming Liebe had nothing to lose because it’s “not her dream yet.”
Perry then urged her to “show us what your voice can do, take it to the limit, no looking’ back.
“Sing it like it’s your new dream,” she added.
The contestant took Perry’s advice and pushed her voice to its wailing limits during her rendition of the Elton John classic — apparently impressing Perry, who continued shouting demands during the second song.
“More of that! Hold it out,” Perry instructed.
All three judges clapped for Liebe’s second try, although she said that she felt like she was going to pass out from following Perry’s recommendations.
“Accidental American Idol,” Perry nicknamed Liebe.
“I feel like a comic strip character just came to life,” Perry said after Sara Beth was done, with Bryan expressing his “love” for her performance.
“Look, if it’s not your dream, it’s not gonna go far because I also respect everyone that’s walking through that door who will lay down their life for this golden ticket [to Hollywood],” Perry added about other hopefuls advancing to the next round of competition.
Ultimately, Bryan and Perry voted for Liebe to move on to the next round, while Richie “went with his gut” and voted against her because he didn’t think she took the competition seriously.
“Sara Beth, you’re in the dream now. Go get your golden ticket,” Perry dismissed Liebe. “Hurry before the dream ends!”
The Post has contacted a rep for Perry for comment.
“Boo to Katy Perry for mom shaming Sara Beth. Insinuating that she has been ‘laying on the table too much’ to have 3 kids by age 25. A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down,” one person tweeted.
“Truly, @katyperry has proven she doesn’t care about all women,” another claimed.
“I really do not like how Katy Perry just treated Sara Beth on #AmericanIdol,” one tweeter said. “I don’t watch this show at all and my tv was already on the channel but what I witnessed was not right. They let Katy Perry bully this woman on live national tv before she even started singing. So ugly.”
“Some of the things Katy perry says to the female contestants is [mind-blowing emojis],” another fan noticed.
Last week, Perry broke down in tears after a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School auditioned with an emotional performance of “Stone” by Whiskey Myers.
“Our country has f–king failed us!” Perry shouted. “This is not OK!”
“American Idol” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
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