Fans have urged Katy Perry to apologise to an American Idol contestant after she quit the show following a 'mom-shaming' joke.
The California Gurls singer has faced backlash after making comments on contestant Sara Beth during her audition.
Katy, 38, who is a judge on the show, jokingly pretended to faint after finding out Sara is a mother of three at the age of 25.
All judges were shocked to find out Sara's age but the revelation made Katy get up from her seat and turn her back to the contestant.
She quipped: “If Katy lays on the table, I think I'm going to pass out.”
The singer replied, “Honey, you been laying on the table too much.”
Katy, who has a two year old daughter with actor Orlando Bloom, faced strong backlash from viewers who called her joke "offensive".
It wasn't long until Sara Beth called the pop star out herself.
Addressing the drama in a TikTok video, she said, “At the start of my audition before I sang, I mentioned that I had three children and was a young mother, and Katy Perry made a joke that wasn't super kind.
“I don’t have too much to say on my feelings about it because it’s probably pretty self-explanatory."
She added: “It was embarrassing to have that on TV. And it was hurtful and, you know, that’s that.”
“I did want to take this opportunity to say that I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom-shaming is super lame.
“I think that it's hard enough to be a mom and it's hard enough to be a woman.”
Following her TikTok, Sara Beth ended up quitting the show, claiming her heart was "at home".
She was struggling with her confidence and didn’t feel like she “fit the mold,” so ultimately ended up telling the judges — Katy, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie — that she was leaving.
“This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance, because my heart’s at home. So I’m going to get home to my babies. They kind of need me,” she said after performing her final song Roxanne by the Police.
In response to Sara Beth's heartfelt admission, Katy told her: “Sara Beth, life is scary.
"I also know that it's easier to walk away than to be rejected. But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential.
"I know that you love your family [and] your kids. I know that as a mother. But remember self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don’t leave the competition.”
Fans were left confused that Katy was talking to Sara Beth "as a mother" following the mom-shaming joke.
“I guarantee that she left because she was berated by Katy in the audition and decided the competition wasn’t worthy enough to be away from her kids,” one person speculated.
“Katy had her chance to apologize to the young mom ... but NOPE NOPE,” added another.
A viewer added: "Katy Perry's remarks were totally uncalled for, rude, mean, embarrassing and cruel......"
Yet some came to the defence of the singer, saying: "How was Katy Perry "mom shaming"? It was literally a joke."
"It's not mom shaming, It's called a joke," added another.
