Wendy’s Throws Shade at Katy Perry After Blue Origin Space Flight

Images via Wiwit Ahmad; DFree / Shutterstock

Katy Perry’s trip to space may have lasted just 11 minutes, but the aftermath has been anything but brief — thanks, in part, to Wendy’s.

On April 14, the pop star joined an all-female crew aboard Blue Origin’s latest flight, marking a historic milestone for representation in space. Upon her return, Perry celebrated the experience on Instagram, calling it an “incredible journey” with her “space sisters.”

But the official Wendy’s account had other plans.

Quote-posting a headline that read “Katy Perry has returned from space,” the fast food chain quipped, “Can we send her back.” It didn’t stop there — the account followed up by reposting photos of Perry kissing the ground and captioning them, “I kissed the ground and I liked it,” in reference to her 2008 hit.

The commentary sparked mixed reactions online. Some users praised Wendy’s for its sharp wit, while others criticized the jabs as unprofessional and unnecessary. The barbs also unearthed tension between Perry and fellow pop star Kesha, who notably sued producer Dr. Luke — a longtime Perry collaborator — for sexual assault in 2014. The legal battle ended in a 2023 settlement.

Without naming names, Kesha later posted a photo sipping from a Wendy’s cup, prompting fans to connect the dots.

Neither Perry nor Wendy’s has publicly responded to the controversy. As of now, the singer appears focused on the historic nature of the flight, which also included journalist Gayle King, philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, astronaut Amanda Nguyen, rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn.