Katy Perry Under Fire for Her ‘Cruel’ Reaction That Got this Beloved Idol Crying

On Monday, April 1, the show's performance by contender Odell Bunton Jr. left fans in disbelief. American Idol Season 22 viewers are sick of Katy Perry for her purportedly rude behavior on the program. Viewers were stunned by how she treated popular competitor Bunton Jr. during the Final Judgement segment of the show.

As reported by The Sun, before giving Bunton the 'bad news', the 39-year-old singer inquired about his upbringing. The contestant revealed, "Man, it's tough. We got a total of 12 people living in a hotel room. Just two beds and a little kitchen area." Bunton started to weep while he was sharing his story, but he soon composed himself, wiped away his tears, and said that it had been an 'emotional day for him.' He expressed his thoughts, and Perry quickly made fun of him for being 'up' throughout his time on Idol, even though it was not the case at all.

She said, "You know, Odell, it's a lot of pressure, having a platinum ticket. I don't even know what the pressure is having 12 people under one roof. [But] we have to make decisions that are hard. Even when life is hard. Unfortunately this as far we can take you." The famous singer informed him that he was safe this week after giving him the impression for a little while that he was finished with Idol. She finally concluded, "It's gonna be up to America from here on out because you're in our Top 24." Perry, along with fellow Idol judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, gathered around an emotional Bunton to console him after her delivery of the truth.

Idol watchers on X voiced their displeasure with how Perry behaved with the contestant. One user wrote on X, "OMG!! My heart dropped for a second when Katy did that!!! Damn you Katy Perry!! I'm sooooooo glad that Odell Bunton Jr. is in the Top 24!!!" Another one added, "I was about to throw something at my tv when @katyperry told Odell “ this as far as we can take you” Thankful he did make the top 24."

A third user wrote, "Katy Perry is an absolute bitch, anybody who is actually a good singer she finds something negative to say." A fourth chimed in, "Katy had that man thinking he about to go back to that hotel tonight with 12 folks."

The 28-year-old Texas native previously dazzled the judges on American Idol with his performance of Sam Cooke's Bring it on Home to Me. His mother trained him to sing and assisted in the development of his vocal chords. His parents discovered as he got older that he had a unique gift from God: singing.

Bunton is a resident of Dallas and works the night shift at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as a security guard. The competitor has previously said that he has always aspired to be a singer but had to postpone his goals to focus on being a good father to his little family.