The young mother who was mocked by Katy Perry on American Idol, prompting outrage among fans and a viral video of the exchange, has issued a stinging reply in a TikTok video.
Sara Beth Liebe, 25, revealed on the show that she had borne three children by the time she was 25. That prompted Perry to pretend she was going to faint. Liebe commented, “If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out,” to which Perry replied, “Honey, you been laying on the table too much.”
Does @sarabethliebe really want be an #IDOL? Guess you're about to find out! 💙 pic.twitter.com/1ilbUJsYSC
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) March 6, 2023
“Recently I auditioned on American Idol, actually you may or may not have seen, and while I was on the show there was a joke that was made that’s gotten some attention and I’ve gotten a lot of people reaching out to me asking how I’m feeling,” Liebe began. “So, I figured this was probably the easiest way to address it.”
“I got scouted to go and audition on American Idol and sing in front of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry, and at the start of my audition, before I sang, I mentioned that I had three children and was a young mother and Katy Perry made a joke that wasn’t super kind and that’s what this is all, I guess, about,” she added.
“I don’t really have too much to say on my feelings about it because I feel like it’s probably pretty self-explanatory,” she continued. “I mean, it was embarrassing to have that on TV and it was hurtful and you know, that’s that. But I did want to take this opportunity to just say that I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman. And I also wanted to take this opportunity to say that I see all of the young moms and just moms in general who have commented on all of the videos and posts and everything and I just wanted to say that I see you and I hear you and I am grateful for you and you’re worthy and keep loving your babies.”
“Nobody deserves to feel crappy about that,” she declared. “Like I mean, bottom line, I don’t think there’s anything really more to it. And I think if you’re a good mama and you love your babies that that’s all that really matters and other comments just don’t feel necessary and that’s all I have to say on the matter.”
“So thanks for the love guys. I’m putting out music now, I guess, and you want to listen. Bye,” she concluded.
Perry also said to Liebe when she was finished singing, “I feel like a comic book strip character just came to life. … Look, if it’s not your dream, you’re not gonna go far.”