As Kismet covered earlier this week, Katy Perry was part of the all-female Blue Origin crew which went into space for about 10 minutes. It cost a billion dollars to get some (frankly terrific) Gayle King memes and a video of Jeff Bezos face-planting in a ditch in the desert. All week, there’s been a lot of mockery and commentary about this wasteful, faux-feminist BS. As the flight was happening on Monday, a lot of people were making jokes about Katy Perry specifically. Wendy’s Twitter account made some jokes too:
I kissed the ground and i liked it https://t.co/pjBpDIZ9k8
— Wendy’s (@Wendys) April 15, 2025
If you go to that tweet, you can see that the Wendy’s handle is making jokes in the thread, like “When we said women in stem this isn’t what we meant.” Soon after, Kesha got involved, posting a selfie where she was sipping from a Wendy’s cup, with the logo visible. The backstory on that is: Katy Perry’s longtime producer is Dr. Luke and Katy is still working with him even after Kesha credibly accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her (and Kesha spent years battling Dr. Luke in court too). Anyway, Katy came back to earth and saw all of the mockery, and she decided that she’s especially mad about Wendy’s jokes. From a People Mag exclusive:
Wendy’s beef with Katy Perry over her Blue Origin space flight went too far, a source close to the situation feels. Shortly after Blue Origin’s first all-female crew flew to the edge of space and back on Monday, April 14, the fast food chain took a series of jabs at the “Woman’s World” singer, 40.
“Can we send her back,” the official Wendy’s account wrote in response to one post about Perry’s return from space, while another commented on how “when we said women in stem this isn’t what we meant.”
The barbed posts divided fans — and the commentary also sparked tension between Perry and fellow musician Kesha, 38. Now, the source close to the situation tells PEOPLE that the company was out of line and that Perry deserves an apology.
“Wendy’s didn’t make a joke — they made a choice. Their recent posts on X aimed at Katy Perry were not only disrespectful, but blatantly inappropriate,” the source says. “This wasn’t harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman,” the source adds, contending that “when billion-dollar brands join in, it’s irresponsible.”
In response, Wendy’s kept it positive but stopped short of an apology in a statement to PEOPLE.
“We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent,” the fast food company said.
The source close to the situation expressed dismay that the comments targeted a flight that featured an all-female crew.
“[Wendy’s is] not adding to the conversation, they’re dragging it down and this kind of behavior contributes to a culture where women are punished for standing out or a woman daring to do something different is a target,” the source says.
The comment that drew the most ire from the source was Wendy’s swipe about sending Perry back to space. “Telling a woman that she should be ‘sent back’ is shameful bullying and reflects a troubling willingness to tear down in today’s society,” the source says. “What’s worse is that the face of Wendy’s is a woman, which makes this decision not just hypocritical, but painfully ironic.”
“Everyone expected more from a brand with this kind of platform. Wendy’s should ‘do the right thing’ (the name of one of their core values) apologize and do better in the future,” the source continues.
Katy Perry has always promoted this quasi-feminism of “no one can say mean things about ME.” It’s especially galling for this “source” to get on their pseudofeminist high horse about “punishing women for daring to do something different” when Katy’s last album was mostly co-produced and co-written by Dr. Luke. Notice that Katy – sorry, I mean “a source” – can’t even bring herself to mention Kesha’s participation in this particular storyline. Katy thinks that her beef with Wendy’s is some sort of rallying cry for women, but really, she just looks thin-skinned and out-of-touch. Given how many celebrities and thought-leaders were loudly criticizing this Blue Origin mess, it’s strange that Katy only has smoke for Wendy’s.
— kesha (@KeshaRose) April 15, 2025
Photos and screengrabs courtesy of Backgrid, GMA/Blue Origin video.
-
- Santa Monica, CA – American singer-songwriter Katy Perry wearing Gaurav Gupta SS24 Couture arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States. Pictured: Katy Perry BACKGRID USA 5 APRIL 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Santa Monica, CA – American singer-songwriter Katy Perry wearing Gaurav Gupta SS24 Couture arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States. Pictured: Katy Perry BACKGRID USA 5 APRIL 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Santa Monica, CA – American singer-songwriter Katy Perry wearing Gaurav Gupta SS24 Couture arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States. Pictured: Katy Perry BACKGRID USA 5 APRIL 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I did not know that Wendy’s had that much spice. And yeah a lot of people had criticisms about the trip. Not just Wendy’s. In fact, others were saying a lot worse than their spicy jokes.
Wendy’s social media has been snarky for a long time. Their jabs at Burger King are pretty legendary.
Wendy’s snarky social strategy walked so Duo Lingo’s unhinged social strategy could run.
She just keeps showing us why she’s irrelevant now.
Wendys social media comments were hilarious.
another surprisingly funny account is King Arthur Baking. And of course Lake Lanier.
And don’t forget Beyond Meats’ little cow in a cape!
I wish they’d migrate to Bluesky. King Arthur has an account but hasn’t posted there
Love Lake Lanier!!!
Oh, my word, I just checked out Lake Lanier! Thanks, y’all!
I’m a strong proponent of space research and exploration, but, Katie, don’t tell me this stunt wasn’t stupid, wasteful cosplay. Instead of playing feminist icon and expecting kudos for your 10 minutes in space, how about some applause for Suni Williams who spent 9 months stuck on the International Space Station.
Katy would say, “who?” Because her ten minute trip to our outermost atmosphere wasn’t about anything but her own self aggrandizement. Same as with Gayle King. Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend was there for her boyfriend’s aggrandizement. I don’t know the other women on the trip.
The “other women” were actual scientists. I guess, they were the ones handling the technical stuff.
@somebody,
Only two of the women on the flight have any scientific background, Aisha Bowe is an aerospace engineer, Amanda Nguyen a bioastronautics research scientist/civil rights activist, then there was a journalist, a pop singer, a film director and Jeff Bezos fiancé. None of the women did any technical stuff as all of these flights are fully autonomous and have no pilots or crew. If there had been any technical problems no one on any of his “space” flights would have any idea what to do and would be stuck in space like Laila the Sputnik2 dog.
This whole thing is ridiculous. This space flight had nothing to do with feminism.
Amy Bee is right. This is all about Bezos using women for his own gain; PR for his brand. Nothing to do with feminism. They were just his useful tools but some don’t have the sense to realize it.
You may have supported Kamala but your actions and looks are much more MAGA.
Maybe learn from this and move on.
This Katy Perry pile-on as the new punching-bag just reminds me of those relentless attacks on Anne Hathaway.😕😕
I can see that. But I can also see that Katy Perry, King and whatever Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend is named were there to boost either their own egos (or their boyfriend’s) and to keep pushing the oligarch friendly messages. I am out of clucks to give for being friendly to the douchebags who own most of our media. NASA has been cut to the bone. Scientists are fleeing the country because the Republican Party is so hostile to actual learning.
Plus if Katy wants to pretend to be a feminist, maybe choosing any of the other non (or at least less) problematic producers would have been a place to start.
If she had just gone to space and enjoyed the joy ride, that would have been one thing. But she herself talks about it like it was some giant leap for women in STEM, when real female astronauts and scientists have done and are doing that work. Either enjoy your carnival ride or do something that truly helps women. Because this ain’t it.
I don’t hate Katy Perry, I just find her obnoxious and ridiculous now, and she keeps it going when her “sources” continue to defend this as something more than it was. Especially with how science and women are under attack in this country now.
I think Katy is being singled out because of what she did. She used a billion dollar free joy ride. To promote her tour as a commercial. Then act like this was one giant leap for women in STEM. If it was it would have been with actual female scientists and pilots.
it was also just free PR for Bozos to promote private space travel for the rich. And be dammed what the impact is on the carbon foot print. So someone rich can have a space selfie.
To be fair, I actually thought it was sweet she held up a Daisy to represent her daughter. Then she had to go ruin it with the tour set list. It was just tacky.
It’s the hypocrisy for me, don’t act like you are trying to push women to the forefront. When in reality, you just did it to sell concert tickts. To try and stay relevant.
Oh, please. Why shouldn’t she get snarked on? This performative fake-ass stunt is the 2020s version of Marie Antoinette being down-to-earth at Petit Trianon (though MA genuinely needed the break.) It’s saying that only the super-rich deserve extraordinary experiences, and that is against everything this country is about.
She’s not similar at all to Anne Hathaway. Anne has talent for one.
Hey Katy suck it up buttercup because you deserve every meme and all those who are calling you out for what you are and that is a washed up has been trying to gain some relevance by doing this incredibly stupid stunt.
STUNT in capital letters.
I thought the whole flight was a waste of money. Real astronauts need funding and scientist to help.
And real astronauts and engineers are losing their place and recognition in their fields, especially at NASA. So to then give recognition to these passengers as some sort of advance for feminism is an insult. Lauren Sanchez’ boyfriend visibly supported and funded the asshole administration that is causing women to lose so much of their freedom and choices. I don’t give a shit that he spent $1B to send his girl to space. 🙄
Wendy’s twitter feed has been a burn book for years. Why some people are clutching their pearls on social media now is hilarious.
I loved it and Wendy is right. Send her back, send them all back to space!
If someone had read the room (Katy herself or someone in her circle), she would have realized that she was more vulnerable to criticism. The general public is more than a bit salty at losing their jobs and the state of things, and this excursion was not popular. They knew that before take off. Lauren isn’t known as a woman’s woman. Gayle isn’t positioning herself as a glamorous-put-the-ass-in-astronaut woman. Katy just had an album about superficial girl power that was produced by a rapist tank. Then she took part in this superficial all-girl astro-NOT adventure. That’s the reason for the criticism.
Russell Brand’s ex says what?
And yeah, I agree we shouldn’t blame women for their male partners’ transgressions, but we can learn something from the company they keep. And she married that monster.
The Wendy’s burns were hilarious.
Someone tell Kate Perry’s “source” that Kate and others were not “crew”, they were passengers. Not one of the cosplayers had anything to do functionally on the “space trip”, they were there to look pretty and get publicity for Jeff Bezos’s flying dick.
“Cosplayers”: 100% on the mark!
Well I hope Wendy’s starts having beef with all sorts of celebrities. That would be hilarious.
putting the ‘ass’ in fake ass astronaut
Does anyone know if these ladies paid to go on this flight (it would be a shame if they did) or if it was sponsored by Bezos/Lauren?
There has been no official annoucment either way. But it is a $150,000 non-refundable deposit. To even apply and seats have been auctioned off for 1 million and up to 28 million allegedly for a space ride on the Blue Origin.
As I have read the only thing the women have said it was an ‘invitation’.
Seeing there has been non-stop media promotion around it. I assume it was free and the trade off is all the promotion work around it. They did promoting it.
To me it was one giant tacky publicity stunt with a misguided message.
Thanks for your reply @flamingo. Yeah very tacky PR for Blue Origin and it also looks like there a subtle effort to promote Lauren as some sort of womens’ empowerment leader??? (in space) I looked at her Instagram and she’s trying something, I just can’t figure it out yet.
I think that she’s taking it out on Wendy’s because it’s not a real person that can push back. She’s not very brave and that’s also why she’s constantly bringing up the “you can’t say anything bad about me because otherwise that means you hate women” line.
Sorry to be callous, but how is this anti-woman? Wendy’s could have easily said it if it were some male actor in space…heck even Pigs in Space.
And given some of her comments when she was a judge on American Idol, how hypocritical and whiny. Perry could have earned major points if she had gone along with it.
Team Wendys and Team Kesha
*Laughs in Kesha*
Katy Perry: I think from up there we will think “OMG we have to protect our Mother Earth”.
Who’s gonna tell her that her 11 minute trip to space just emitted thousands of tons of CO2 emissions. In fact a single passenger aboard a rocket is responsible for 100 times more pollution than an airline passenger.
Space Bimbo strikes again.
Honestly. Stupidity + hypocrisy
Katy Perry is an immoral misogynist to continue to work with rapist Dr. Luke. She doesn’t give a shit about other women. Let her be mocked to the rafters because she deserves it.
Just because Wendys is a multibillion dollar critic, it doesnt make their criticism of a multimillion dollar pop star less accurate.
Piling on Katy Perry (for good reason), but I am equally disappointed in Gayle King. I (mistakenly) thought she was better than this. The whole thing is complete manipulation by Bezos and his girl LS.