Katy Perry Wants to Quit ‘American Idol,’ Believes She’s Being Portrayed as the “Nasty Judge”: Report

Is Katy Perry quitting American Idol? According to sources, the judge may not be coming back for Season 22 after facing tons of backlash over the last few months from loyal viewers.

Insiders allege that Perry fears she’s being “thrown under the bus by producers” who she thinks have gone out of their way to make her look like the “nasty judge,” per The Daily Mail.

“She went into it thinking she was going to foster young talent. For her good intentions to be misinterpreted it was not what she wanted,” a source told the outlet. “She has accomplished so much in her career and is now being looked at as a nasty reality show judge.”

They added, “Katy’s wanted out for some time now, but this season was way too much for her to handle.”

The “Hot N Cold” singer first came under fire when she was accused of mom-shaming former contestant Sara Beth Liebe during her audition. The 25-year-old mom-of-three, who called Perry’s remarks “hurtful” and “embarrassing,” ultimately left the singing competition show early to go back home to her children.

On a separate occasion, Perry was booed by the audience for telling Nutsa Buzaladze to dial back on her signature glitter. Fans also slammed her for using “psychological warfare” when she tricked several contestants into thinking they were going home when they were, in fact, moving on to the next round.

If the Grammy-nominated artist did leave the long-running show — which she has been a part of since its 2018 revival alongside co-judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan — it would mean walking away from a reported $25 million contract per season. However, the source claims that it isn’t about the money for Perry — and more about the potential damage it has done to her legacy.

“[Katy’s decision to quit] is not a money thing,” they shared. “For her, it is starting to be more of a legacy issue. She does not want her career defined by a talent competition show where she isn’t even performing.”

Decider reached out to reps for American Idol for comment but didn’t hear back by time of publication.