Katy Perry had to remind Ryan Seacrest they were live after his awkward 'mom' comment on 'American Idol'
Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised
Ryan Seacrest is no stranger to headlines, but even the seasoned host had a moment that caught everyone off guard. During an episode of 'American Idol', as the show returned from a commercial break, Seacrest struck up a conversation with Katy Perry. Sitting at the center of the judges' table with Lionel Richie to her right and Luke Bryan to her left, Perry casually said, “We’re on.” Without missing a beat, Seacrest looked at her and quipped, “Your mom’s pretty.” Perry, clearly surprised, responded, “My mom?!” She then playfully added, “Well, I hope the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” as per AOL.
To this, Seacrest responded quickly, “You are, too,” and he continued, “But you’re not a mom!” “Not yet,” Perry replied. “You wanna talk about it?” Seacrest asked—perhaps realizing too late the cameras were rolling. “Are we live?” Perry asked, clearly trying to regain control of the moment. “I think we’re back, yes,” Seacrest responded. “Are we professionals?” Perry said in disbelief.
katy perry literally had to tell ryan seacrest that the cameras were rolling and he continues to hit on her, asks if she’s a mom and says “you wanna talk about it??” after she says no. what’s going on i’m uncomfortable #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/ichf6TWGoh
— nova 💌 (@MULANEIUM) May 14, 2018
The moment unfurled into one of the most talked-about—and cringeworthy—scenes of the night. Fans couldn’t resist expressing their thoughts on social media. One viewer under the YouTube video comment section, “Katy Perry literally had to tell Ryan Seacrest that the cameras were rolling and he continues to hit on her, asks if she’s a mom and says ‘you wanna talk about it??’ after she says no. what’s going on i’m uncomfortable.” Another tweeted, “Did anyone else just witness the super uncomfortable comments Ryan Seacrest just said to Katy Perry when he didn’t know he was live?” A third viewer summed it up with a single tweet, “That... was creepy af from Ryan Seacrest. Did he know they were on air or.....?”
This isn’t the first time Seacrest has reportedly made headlines for alleged uncomfortable interactions with women. Seacrest was accused in 2007 of sexually harassing a former E! News stylist, Suzie Hardy, as reported by Variety. Hardy reportedly claimed that she was subject to "years of unwanted sexual aggression" which included Seacrest "grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear, groping her vagina, and at one point slapping her buttock so hard that it left a large welt still visible several hours later." Hardy also alleged her job ended after she reported Seacrest’s conduct to HR.
Hardy also mentioned during the interview that, "As proud as I am and as strong as a woman as I am, as smart as I am and as much work as I've done with therapists, it really affected me." However, the aforementioned outlet also reported that soon after, Seacrest denied the accusations in a public statement. He said, “If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations.” An internal investigation by E! later concluded there was “insufficient evidence to support the claims.” However, Hardy did not find justice, she told Variety, "I felt like by the third interview [with me] it was obvious the investigator was whitewashing it for Seacrest's side."