American Idol contestant Sara Beth Liebe has quit the show following Katy Perry’s controversial ‘mum-shaming’ comments.
Perry is best known for being one of pop’s most successful artists of recent decades, but she has also proven herself to be a force in the world of TV too.
Since the ‘Firework’ singer first started judging on American Idol back in season sixteen, the star has made a name for herself as being one of the most polarising judges on the panel.
However, in one episode this season, Perry’s antics found her in some hot water, as she faced accusations of bullying from viewers.
The audition in question involved Sara Beth Liebe, a mother of 3, who took to the room to sing her rendition of Amy Winehouse’s classic track ‘You Know I’m No Good’.
When Liebe revealed that she was just twenty-five years old with 3 kids, Perry stood up, to which Liebe responded: “If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m gonna pass out.”
Perry hit back in what some have called a ‘mum-shaming’ statement: “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much.”
Liebe herself responded to the criticism of Perry’s comments on social media, deeming them “embarrassing” and “hurtful.”
She added: “I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom-shaming is super lame.”
The California native told the judges before singing that she wasn’t a huge musician, but had experience in church choir and enjoyed karaoke nights with her friends.
“Is this your dream?” Perry interjected, looking unimpressed by the quirky contestant’s bubbling and nervous energy.
“If it’s not your dream, you might need to leave because there’s a lot of dreams behind you,” the ‘Teenage Dream’ singer continued, before telling Liebe to start her song: “Freak us out, Freaky Friday.”
After finishing her performance, Perry immediately told the twenty-five-year-old: “That’s not enough.”
Perry’s fellow judges nodded in agreement, and she continued: “Try ‘Bennie and the Jets’. Try it.”
The ‘Waking Up In Vegas’ vocalist declared that it did not seem like the contestant’s dream yet with her performance, adding: “Show us what your voice can do. Take it to the limit. No looking back. Sing it like it’s your new dream.”
After finishing her stunning rendition of the Elton John track, Liebe said that she felt like she was “about to pass out”.
Perry responded more positively to Liebe’s second performance, calling it “accidental American Idol,” as she compared the contestant to a “comic strip character” that had come to life.
“Look, if it’s not your dream, it’s not going to go far,” Perry began her concluding comments.
“I also respect everyone who’s walking through that door who will lay down their life for this golden ticket.”
However, Perry ultimately voted yes, alongside Luke Bryan, although Lionel Richie gave her a no.
“Sara Beth you’re in the dream now. Go get your golden ticket,” Perry said as Liebe walked away successfully.
Viewers took to social media at the time to condemn Perry’s off-colour treatment of the contestant.
One person wrote: “Boo to Katy Perry for mom shaming Sara Beth. Insinuating that she has been ‘laying on the table too much’ to have 3 kids by age 25. A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down.”
Another said: “Hey Katy Perry singing wasn’t Loretta Lynn’s dream either and now she’s a legend I’m just saying.”
However, now Liebe has come out and quit the show, citing her reason that she needs to be at home with her kids instead of on stage.
“This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually gonna be my last performance ’cause my heart’s at home,” she said on Sunday night’s show, per Page Six.
“So I’m gonna get home to my babies. They kinda need me. So thank you,” she added as she left the stage.
The judges encouraged her to come back, with Perry saying: “Sara Beth, I know life is scary. I also know that it’s easier to walk away than to be rejected. But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential.”
She added: “Remember that self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don’t leave the competition.”
