Katy Perry has addressed claims of sexually misconduct made against her by model Josh Kloss and TV host Tina Kandelaki.
“We live in a world where anyone can say anything,” the pop star told The Guardian. “I don’t want to say ‘guilty until proven innocent’ but there’s no checks and balances: a headline just flies, right? And there’s no investigation of what it is.”
Kloss – who starred in Perry’s “Teenage Dream” video – went on social media in 2018 to allege that Perry exposed his penis to a group of people at a party.
“When I saw her, we hugged … But as I turned to introduce my friend, she pulled my Adidas sweats and underwear out as far as she could to show a couple of her guy friends and the crowd around us, my penis,” he wrote. “Can you imagine how pathetic and embarrassed I felt?”
The following year, Kandelaki told a Russian tabloid that Perry was allegedly intoxicated when she touched her inappropriately and tried to kiss her.
The singer also came under fire for kissing 19-year-old Benjamin Glaze, who was auditioning for American Idol, on the mouth. (He later told The New York Times the kiss made him feel “uncomfortable” but said he didn’t feel sexually harassed.)
Perry told The Guardian she has not previously responded to the allegations because she doesn’t want to “add to the noise.” She explained: “I don’t comment on all the things that are said about me because if I chase that dragon, it would be about true and false-ing my whole life. It’s distracting from the real movement.”
Elsewhere in the interview Perry spoke about accusations that she perpetuated stereotypes with early songs like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Ur So Gay” and appropriated different cultures throughout her career.
“A lot of mistakes I’ve made in the past have been juvenile lack of education,” the singer admitted. “But there is definitely not a whole lot of empathy or compassion towards people sometimes growing – or trying to f**king grow – in the spotlight. Because growth also means failing. And I’ve done a lot of falling flat on my face.”
Perry added: "It’s OK to say you weren’t as evolved as a human five years ago than you are now.”