Katy Perry has been criticized online for playing a "cruel trick" on an American Idol contestant.
During an episode of the talent show that premiered on Sunday night, the 38-year-old singer decided to trick a bunch of contestants by making it seem like they had not made it to the next round of the competition when in fact, they had.
Perry, along with her fellow judges Lionel Richie, 73, and Luke Bryan, 46, was tasked with picking the top 24 singers from a collection of 48 hopefuls who performed with a live band for the first time, and of course, as with any reality TV show, they added a bit of drama to spice things up.
However, fans believe that Perry took things way too far especially when it came to one particular contestant.
Nutsa Buzaladze was the third singer to perform for the judges hoping that she could win back a few brownie points after she missed out on crucial practice time because she decided to prioritize sleep.
The 25-year-old gave a sensational performance of Tina Turner's classic 'Proud Mary' and then afterward, she was told by Perry that "we did not put you into the top 24."
"It's been so much fun watching you bring that amazing showmanship," the 'Teenage Dream' singer started. "But as you know, it's a tough competition. It's not going to be just about winning, it's about learning as Lionel says...
"So we have really appreciated you being in this competition. Thank you for everything you brought," Perry continued. "We did not put you in the top 24."
The contestant became emotional as she whispered: "It's okay."
After a long and dramatic pause, Nutsa started looking around the stage wondering what to do next, when Katy finally decided to give up the suspense saying: "You put yourself in that top 24. Nutsa, you put yourself in that top 24 with your incredible talent!"
Despite the complete 180 on the outcome, Nutsa still looked confused - and rightly so given the fact that her dreams were slashed just mere moments ago.
Perry did her best to clarify the point adding: "We didn't put you in there, you did. As confusing as it seems you're going to the top 24!"
After a few more seconds, Nutsa started celebrating. But viewers were not impressed, branding Perry as "cruel" for playing such a trick.
"Is it just me or does it bug anyone else that Katy Perry keeps trolling people about whether they made it to the top 24 or not? I feel it's cruel to make them think they aren't going through..... and then say, Yeah, you made it!"
"Katy needs to stop it with the fakeouts," wrote another user. "Pulling the 'we didn't put you in the top 24, you put yourself in the top 24' on Nutsa? Poor girl was so damn confused. English is her second language, and even though her English is great, it was a high-stress situation."
A third added: "What's the BS when you tell people they made Top24...trying to be so clever, to 'fake them out', to scare them? 'We didn't put you thru...you did.' 'You're not Top24...you're Top10.' Stop screwing with people!"
Another Twitter user was also less than impressed writing: "Please please stop the stupid fake out when telling someone if they made it to Top 24. It’s annoying and not funny after the first 45,630 times you do it."
And this user also pointed out that Perry seemingly takes things way too far when delivering the results.
"Turned on American Idol for s**ts and giggles tonight," they wrote. "Why does Katy Perry commit psychological warfare every time she delivers the you made it through news."
Elsewhere Perry also created a similar state of confusion for Zacaharia Smith, when she told the contestant: "You will be going home.... to pack your bags to come back to the top 24!"
