Katy Perry might have gone to space — but she’s had to come back down to Earth in more ways than one.
Just weeks after making history aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket as part of the first all-female civilian crew in space since 1963, the global pop star has opened up about the emotional fallout that followed.
The 11-minute mission, which launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas site, saw Perry float alongside fellow high-flyers including former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, activist Amanda Nguyễn, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez.
Now, in a deeply personal Instagram post, Perry addressed the online firestorm she’s faced since the brief suborbital flight on April 14.
But instead of universal acclaim, the historic flight quickly became a lightning rod for criticism. A swell of critical and mocking social media posts quickly followed - with fellow celebs and even Wendy's taking a jab at the 'ET' singer.
Some online critics labelled it a vanity stunt, others bizarrely suggested it was staged. Amid all this, Perry says the internet turned on her — hard.
“When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata,” she wrote, “I take it with grace and send them love, ’cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed.”
The backlash, though brutal, hasn’t broken her.
“I’m so grateful for you guys,” Perry told her fans. “We’re in this beautiful and wild journey together. I can continue to remain true to myself, heart open and honest especially because of our bond.”
In the post, Perry also reflected on therapy, fame, and her own resilience in the face of criticism. “My therapist said something years ago that has been a game changer: ‘No one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself.’”
And if there’s pain in the reaction, Perry says she uses it as an invitation to look inward. “If I ever do have any feelings about it, then it’s an opportunity to investigate the feeling underneath it,” she added.
The 'Roar' singer - who is currently on her Lifetimes Tour - said it’s the connection with fans that keeps her grounded. “What’s real is seeing your faces every night, singing in unison, reading your notes, feeling your warmth.”
She admitted she’s not perfect — and doesn’t want to be. “I’ve actually omitted that word from my vocabulary,” she wrote. “I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with an audience of many and sometimes I fall but… I get back up and go on and continue to play the game.”
Her parting thought? “Somehow through my battered and bruised adventure I keep looking to the light, and in that light a new level UNLOCKS.”
It’s the kind of grounded honesty you don’t always get from someone fresh off a rocket ride.
Would you really pass the opportunity to go up to space?