Luke Bryan Defends Katy Perry Over 'American' Idol Backlash

Luke Bryan is speaking out and standing up for his fellow American Idol judge, Katy Perry.

The 46-year-old “Rollercoaster” singer defended Katy over the backlash she received from viewers throughout the most recent season.

Katy was a target for fans of the reality competition over the past season, after she had seemingly made fun of one of the contestants, and told a few jokes that didn’t land well.

Now, Luke is speaking out about the backlash.

Keep reading to find out more…

Speaking to reporters at the CMA Fest over the weekend, Luke says some fans were a little hard on Katy this season.

“I mean, we all get it … We’re judging kids at home that people fall in love with, so we’re not gonna bat a thousand. We’re not gonna bat a thousand, as judges,” he shared, via Taste of Country. “We’re [also] gonna send a kid through that may get controversial.”

Luke also shared that while her, and his or Lionel Richie‘s comments don’t sit well with fans, it’s not coming from a place of ill-will for the hopefuls.

“When me and Lionel and Katy sit down at the desk, in our hearts, we’re doing the best we can. You know, Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun, making a TV show,” he shared. “You can’t be so safe in the moment that you’re homogenized, [that] you can never go for a joke or a fun moment. Sometimes you gotta just say stuff and roll the dice on TV like that, however it gets perceived.”

Luke also said that Katy has handled all the comments about her online well.

“It may be my year next year. But we’re conditioned and calloused for it,” he says. “And Katy’s been dealing with that — it makes me appreciate her even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that, her whole career.”

Find out if Katy plans on returning for season 22 of American Idol.