Katy Perry has had a very busy and shall we say out-of-this world kind of month.
On April 14, alongside CBS Morning's anchor Gayle King, as well as journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, Perry took part in an eight-minute, all-female space trip via the Jeff Bezos-founded tech company.
The trip was meant to support women in aeronautics, but it was met with scrutiny, considering the amount of financial and environmental resources that were used in those eight minutes.
To add salt to the wound, Perry's latest album, 143, has not performed nearly as well as her previous albums, even with its accompanying Lifetimes tour.
With criticism coming in from fans, Katy Perry haters, and even big names like Amy Schumer, Olivia Munn, and Wendy's, Perry found herself in quite the negative light throughout most of the month of April.
But everything turned around when a group of "Katycats," Katy Perry's biggest fans, funded a celebratory billboard for her in Times Square.
The fans recorded the billboard in an Instagram video, which congratulated her on the opening of the tour.
The Instagram caption read:
"Katy Perry has taught us that love is the key that opens every door. Today, we wanted to remind her that she is never alone; our love for her is boundless, unwavering, and eternal."
"So, for the next 24 hours, a very special message from her Katycats all over the world will be playing at Times Square."
You can see the video here:
Perry then responded in the comments section with a long and heartfelt message.
"I’m so grateful for you guys. We’re in this beautiful and wild journey together. I can continue to remain true to myself, heart open and honest, especially because of our bond. I love you guys and have grown up together with you and am so excited to see you all over the world this year!"
"Please know I am okay, I have done a lot of work around knowing who I am, what is real, and what is important to me. My therapist said something years ago that has been a game changer: 'No one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself,' and if I ever do have any feelings about it, then it’s an opportunity to investigate the feeling underneath it."
Perry tried to see the online hate as an opportunity to grow rather than dwell.
"When the 'online' world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love, cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways, and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed. What’s real is seeing your faces every night, singing in unison, reading your notes, and feeling your warmth. I find people to lock eyes and sing with and I know we are healing each other in a small way when I get to do that."
"I’m not perfect, and I actually have omitted that word from my vocabulary. I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with an audience of many, and sometimes I fall, but… I get back up and go on and continue to play the game, and somehow through my battered and bruised adventure, I keep looking to the light, and in that light, a new level UNLOCKS."
Though the Instagram community was touched by the fans' gesture and Perry's reaction, Twitter (X) was not so convinced.
she 100% paid for this herself im crying 💀
— Noah (@arslan_baloch__) April 30, 2025
Katy we know you paid for this yourself girl
— Santana (@Santana_rGeorge) May 1, 2025
lmao her label made this up
— franco salas (@debeserfranco) April 30, 2025
Spending money to make her feel good while she keeps all her money and makes you watch her sing lmao I wanna be in on this scam so bad
— Bruce (@DaddyBruce95) April 30, 2025
OMG Such drama. So desperate.
Makes her look even more like a loser.
— Kareen ✝️🇺🇲 (@KareenFDski) April 29, 2025
But even on Twitter (X), some Katycats appeared and were inspired by her message and grace.
Love that she brushes off the hate
— Alex (@clorxdvddy1) April 29, 2025
I LOVE KATY SM. atleast she acknowledge that many of her fans r also hurt from this hate. im glad shes okay and better than ever. bitter ppl like kesha can only wish to have a peace of mind like this.
— dad stealer 😈 (@sebccubus) April 30, 2025
she ate with “unhinged and unhealed..”
— onxx (@onxxai) April 30, 2025
I love how she's unbothered and brushes off all the hate threats
— Dango🍡 (@itzDango) April 30, 2025
I like she is calm and compose herself
— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) April 30, 2025
I love her sm and I’m not even the biggest katycat 😭 but she’s a legend 100%
— Alex 🦒 (@AlexCheto05) April 29, 2025
I’m sorry but she clocked y’all
— Ɐmy 🖤🃏 (@ThankYouAmyy) April 29, 2025
She’s actually so lovely 😭😭😭😭
— 𝐬 🇬🇧🍁 ⸆⸉ (@crowningred) April 30, 2025
people forget that she is also living life for the first time too, it’s ok to hold her accountable but also GIVE HER SPACE TO LEARN AND GROW. no one ever changed their mind about something by getting yelled and bullied, glad she is in a higher mental state ✨
— 𝖛𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 (@darthvanner) April 29, 2025
She just say she's not perfect and she don't want to fight anyone to hate her because she knows these people are hurt and lost oh mother always showing grace.
— Josh Hudson (@Joshhudsonkat3) April 29, 2025
peace and love to all 🧡🧡
— n e f f y (@neffy1432) April 30, 2025
It's touching to think that fans pooled money and resources to remind Perry that she's not alone, even if some fans speculated that it was just a cover story to help counter the negativity she has faced recently.
We hope this experience helps Perry recognize how privileged she is, and that her message will be uplifting to her fans.
