During the “One Love Malibu” charity auction on Sunday, pop singer Katy Perry offered to pay $50,000 to go on a date with her boyfriend, actor Orlando Bloom. She reportedly outbid a fan who wanted to buy the date for $20,000, according to Billboard.
The live auction — in addition to a silent auction — took place just after the “One Love Malibu” charity concert. 100 percent of the proceeds from the auctions, and the concert, went to the Malibu Foundation. Said charitable cause was instigated in an effort to support the rebuilding of the Malibu community following the devastating Woolsey fire last month.
Perry took to the stage at the live auction to talk up the date with Bloom, which was said to be a motorcycle ride, before deciding to take it for herself.
“You can get a motorcycle ride with him to a lunch destination, and you can also have lunch with Orlando freaking Bloom. That also means when you’re on the motorcycle ride with him, you’re holding him in a way that I am not excited about. You’re holding his pecs and his six-pack!” Perry said to the crowd.
She went on to say that whoever won the date could stare into Bloom’s brown eyes.
Katy Perry outbids fan for Orlando Bloom date at One Love Malibu charity show https://t.co/fkhmjpCvXY pic.twitter.com/55C3t5DOKh
— billboard (@billboard) December 3, 2018
Instagram footage from the event showed that a fan named Laura started the bidding at $20,000. Perry cheered, and continued on with the auctioneer to try and raise the bid to $25,000. However, just as the auctioneer was about to sell the date to Laura, Perry stepped in to take the date for $50,000.
Perry later spoke to Entertainment Tonight about her participation in the charity event — and why it was so important to her.
“My pianist that is playing with me, he lost his house and we were on tour, and then he came home and he didn’t have a home, so, it’s been kind of intense and it’s very personal,” she said.
Perry also performed during the “One Love Malibu” concert at the King Gillette Ranch in Malibu earlier that day — along with artists like Rita Ora, Natasha Bedingfield, and more. The singer advocated for her pianist when she entered the stage, revealing that she was primarily there to help him, and anyone else affected by the fires.
Robin Thicke, who lost his own home in the Woolsey Fire, also took to the stage to perform. He shared that two of his bandmates had lost their homes as well.
“We have an opportunity to grow together now,” she said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Demi Moore, Whitney Cummings, and Dick Van Dyke also gave touching speeches during the concert. Each of them thanked the audience for coming together with love and support for the Malibu community.
Overall, close to $1 million was raised on Sunday. Donations are still being accepted on the Malibu Foundation‘s website.