American Idol Fan Favorite Katy Perry Came Under Fire For Making A Tearful Statement

Katy Perry
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen interview Katy Perry

On Monday, April 1, the show’s performance by competitor Odell Bunton Jr. left fans as well as Katy Perry in disbelief. The 28-year-old Texas native previously dazzled the judges on American Idol with his performance of Sam Cooke’s “Bring it on Home to Me.” Bunton is a resident of Dallas and works the night shift at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as a security guard. The competitor has previously stated that he has always aspired to be a singer but had to postpone his goals to focus on being a good father to his little family. “Trying to provide for five has not been easy,” he remarked. It’s been difficult.  

Katy Perry Moves Burton To Tears With Her Announcement

During his visit to the show, Bunton talked about his life with Luke Bryan, Lionel Ritchie, and Katy Perry, her co-judges. He stated, “Man, it’s tough.” There were twelve individuals residing in one hotel room. Just a tiny cooking area and two bedrooms.” However, what left supporters furious was Perry’s handling of the competition’s following round.

Bunton was awaiting the judges’ comments after performing his best to earn a spot in the series’ final 24. Perry referred to the competitor’s family situation when he added, “You know, Odell, it’s a lot of pressure, having a platinum ticket.” She continued: “I don’t even know what the pressure is having 12 people under one roof.” The competitor ultimately found herself fighting back tears after creating the idea that Bunton had not made it through. “It’s going to be up to America from here on out because you’re in our Top 24,” Perry said.

When Bunton realized that he had survived, he started crying.