Katy Perry Responds to Blue Origin Backlash: “I Take It With Grace”

Image via Carla Van Wagoner / Shutterstock

Katy Perry is addressing the criticism head-on.

Fresh off the launch of her Lifetimes world tour, the 40-year-old pop star has broken her silence on the online backlash surrounding her recent flight with Blue Origin — the private aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos.

Perry joined an all-female crew on the New Shepard NS-31 mission in mid-April, where she shared an emotional message after the 11-minute flight, describing the experience as “incredible” and second only to motherhood. However, since returning to Earth, she and the crew have faced ongoing scrutiny, with critics pointing to the cost of the flight and questioning its value.

In a heartfelt Instagram post earlier this week, Perry thanked her fans for their support, calling their bond “beautiful and wild,” and noting that it helps her stay true to herself amid public pressure. She reassured followers she was okay, saying she’s done “a lot of work” on herself and recalling a piece of advice from her therapist: “No one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe.”

Referring to the online backlash as coming from “unhinged and unhealed” voices, she wrote: “When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love.”

Perry also spoke about the emotional highs of her tour, the healing power of live shows, and her rejection of the concept of perfection. “Somehow, through my battered and bruised adventure, I keep looking to the light,” she added.

During the opening night of Lifetimes, Perry seemed to embrace the space criticism with humor, even bringing fans dressed in spacesuits on stage and asking the crowd, “Has anyone ever called your dreams crazy?”

Though the journey was short in duration, Perry emphasized its symbolic weight. From singing “What a Wonderful World” mid-flight to speaking on female empowerment and her role as a mother, she framed the experience as an act of courage and connection.