Katy Perry Announces Exit From 'American Idol', Teases Plans For New Music

Katy Perry has announced her departure from the judging panel of the popular singing competition, "American Idol." Perry, who joined the show in 2018 alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, has been a prominent fixture on the program for several seasons but will bid farewell after the current season concludes.

It comes after reports emerged suggesting she wanted to leave the show because she believed the producers threw her "under the bus" by making her look like the "nasty judge," which subjected her to furious backlash from fans.

The 38-year-old popstar appeared on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Monday night, where she revealed she wouldn't be continuing as a judge on "American Idol" after its current season ends.

In a statement addressing her departure, Perry expressed gratitude for her time on the show before telling Kimmel that she'll be leaving because she "wants to see the world."

"I love 'Idol' so much, it's connected me with the heart of America," she said. "But I feel like I need to go out to feel that pulse of my own beat."

"I love the show so much, but I want to see the world," Perry added. "Maybe I'll come back if they have me one day."

Perry also seems to have other projects in the works as she revealed that she has new music in the works, noting that it is going to be a good year for pop stars and pop music.

She said, "I have some things planned for this year. So it's going to be a very, very exciting year… for all popstar girlies!… I've been in the studio for a while."

Despite the increasing speculation, no concrete plans have been outlined yet for the successor who will fill Perry's shoes on the show.

The "Roar" singer was asked if her co-judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, knew she was exiting the show already, to which she replied, "They'll find out tonight."

Elsewhere on the show, Perry said she was set to perform in the "Rock in Rio" festival later in June before noting that she, Richie, and Bryan would now match the seven-season stint of the original "American Idol" judges; Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

According to Variety, Cowell, Abdul, and Jackson originally stayed for eight seasons but were joined by Kara DioGuardi for season 8.

The singer took to Instagram, posting a photo of herself in a black cut-out dress and inviting fans to play "Two Truths and a Lie."

Several fans took to the comment section of her post to share their reactions. One fan said they'd "miss" Perry's "singing prowess and charisma," while others felt it was the right decision for her to leave the show,

It comes after reports emerged last May that Perry was reportedly on the brink of leaving "American Idol" following a tumultuous season marred by controversy and backlash, per the Daily Mail.

Sources close to the singer revealed that she felt she had been "thrown under the bus" by the show's producer, which unfairly portrayed her as the "nasty judge," leading to a slew of controversy and backlash from fans.

"Katy feels like [the producers] threw her under the bus," the source said. "She feels like her comments could have been removed."

"Katy became aware of the harsh criticism. Getting booed upset her. She was trying to stay in her lane, do her job, and go home," the insider continued.

The tipster also noted that Perry became a judge because she wanted to "foster young talent" but didn't like that her "good intentions" were being "misinterpreted."

"She has accomplished so much in her career and is now being looked at as a nasty reality show judge," the source added. "Katy's wanted out for some time now, but this season was way too much for her to handle."

During a March 5 episode of the show, an aspiring singer, Sara Beth Liebe, disclosed that she had given birth to three children before the age of 25, prompting Perry to say she had "been laying on the table too much" in a widely-derided remark.

Liebe subsequently left the competition, as she noted she "needed to be with my babies." She had performed her first-round song, "The Police Hit Roxanne," before telling judges Perry, Bryan, and Richie: "This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance because my heart's at home."

Perry was then slammed by fans, who accused her of mom-shaming the contestant. On another episode of the show, she was booed by the audience after criticizing a contestant for her use of glitter.

"Nutsa, every time you take the stage, it's like you glitter bomb the stage," Perry told the contestant. "Listen, one thing that I would like to see from you is not one piece of glitter the next time. I know that is going to be hard."

Some members of the audience expressed their disapproval by booing and making a thumbs-down gesture in response to her comments.