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Katy Perry once hurled a pizza slice at the 'American Idol' audience in bizarre gesture

A critic wrote, "I'm a fan but this is kinda disrespectful. I'd be annoyed if it ruined my outfit. I'd pick it up off the floor and throw it back..."

Pop icon Katy Perry, known for her quirky antics, once ignited controversy during her final appearance as a judge on America Idol Season 22. In a move that was meant to entertain, Perry recreated a viral 2022 moment by flinging a slice of pepperoni pizza into the audience during the season finale. While some fans saw the act as playful and humorous, others were quick to criticize her behavior, calling it wasteful and disrespectful. Sharing the moment on Instagram, Perry captioned the clip, “A pizza my heart will always be on the idol stage.”

In the video, she showed the pizza slice to the camera before tossing it into the crowd. A fan eagerly reached to catch it but missed, resulting in the slice falling to the ground. Perry, seemingly unfazed, shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and danced away. However, the lighthearted act did not sit well with netizens. Criticism poured in, with one person slamming, “Don’t waste food.” Another remarked, “Audiences are not dogs. Very sad to see this happen.” In agreement, another chimed, "I like her...but...IT'S NOT RIGHT!!" In a similar vein, a comment also read, "That's so rude," as reported by Newsweek.

Some fans even imagined themselves in the audience. A person penned, "I'm a fan but this is kinda disrespectful. I'd be annoyed if it ruined my outfit. I'd pick it up off the floor and throw it back at her white dress and then do a dance...wonder if she found it funny. Probably." One person echoed, “Would've flung that (pizza slice) right back,” while another added, “You should never do that to anyone.” Despite the backlash, Perry seemed unfazed. Dressed in a metallic strapless top and a white skirt, she performed her song What Makes a Woman as a duet with finalist, Jack Blocker, as she bid farewell to American Idol.

Ahead of the big day, Perry tried to convince fans that she would not retire. She stressed, "I'm just trying to make space for other things. It's not like me ending this show means I'm going to retire on an island, even though that would be fabulous. I'm gonna...work...I am always emotional on the finale, but gosh when this finale comes, I better just tape the false lashes to my face."

As per the Daily Mail, Blocker ultimately came in third place, with Abi Carter crowned as the winner of Season 22. In her final appearance, Perry acknowledged the importance of her sever-year journey on the show. In an interview later, she shared, “It's connected me with, like, the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse.” Interestingly, this is not the first time she has thrown pizza at the public. A while ago, at a club appearance in Las Vegas, she frisbeed a slice of pizza at her fans. However, she soon realized her mistake.