Katy Perry has found herself in the midst of an unusual controversy in recent days - all thanks to planting a kiss on a young man during his American Idol audition.
19-year-old Benjamin Glaze had told the three judges that he had never been kissed and was saving his first kiss for his first relationship, when Perry called him over and asked him to give her a kiss on the cheek.
He did so, but she complained that he "didn't even make the smoosh sound". When he went to kiss her on the cheek again, she quickly turned her cheek and kissed him on the lips - which surprised him so much that he actually fell over.
While many have criticised Perry for her actions - and some reports have Glaze talking about feeling 'uncomfortable' and 'disappointed' that she had taken his first kiss - he took to Instagram to set the record straight, saying that he did not feel that he was 'sexually harassed' by the pop star and that some media outlets had twisted his words somewhat.
See below for the incident, the social media reaction and Glaze's response to the whole matter...
Imagine if a 33 year-old male artist tricked a 19 year-old female auditioner into a kiss like Katy Perry just did with that teenage guy. Would we all think it was cute? #AmericanIdol
— Craig M. Tiede (@craigmtd) March 12, 2018
Ok, let’s be real for a minute: If Katy Perry was a man and that American Idol kiss happened to a woman, it would be sexual harassment, right? If we want people to listen to legit claims of harassment by women, we need to end the double standards. My 2 cents.
— Anna Baglione (@AnnaBaglione) March 12, 2018
Anyone else watching Idol feel like Katy Perry pressured that poor kid into letting her kiss him on the cheek and violated him by planting one on his lips? Would not have been okay for a male celebrity to do to a young girl. #americanidol #katyperry #mencanbesexuallyharassedtoo
— Heather Campbell (@Niblet81) March 12, 2018
This interaction was non-consensual + the comments implying that the contestant was inferior because he hadn't "kissed a girl" have societal consequences. Public apology needed. If you don't see the problem, try switching the genders in your head. #AmericanIdol @katyperry
— Allison Swearengen (@_aswearen) March 12, 2018
Am I the only one who was seriously uncomfortable about the Katy Perry kiss on #AmericanIdol? It’s super weird and awkward and not asked for . . .
— Nikki Smith (@cmsfamily) March 12, 2018
Perry herself has not yet commented on the matter.