Katy Perry kissed a boy on the American Idol premiere this past Sunday night…
… and he didn’t like it.
On the season premiere of the rebooted American Idol, the popular singer and this season’s lead judge greeted 19-year-old contestant Benjamin Glaze with a playful peck on the lips.
She did so after Glaze told the panel that he had never kissed anyone before.
The episode was filmed in October, but did not air until this week — and the quick spit swap seemed like a harmless exchange of bodily fluids at the time.
But then Glaze spoke to The New York Times a couple days later and…
“I was a tad bit uncomfortable,” he said. “I wanted to save it for my first relationship. I wanted it to be special.”
Benjamin works as a a cashier in Enid, Oklahoma and explained that he comes from a conservative background.
He has been keeping his lips to himself on purpose and then Perry came along and simply laid one on him.
Added the aspiring artist in this interview:
“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no.
“I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Even prior to these quotes going viral, Perry had been criticized harshly by insiders who basically alleged she has no clue what to do or say as a judge.
The unwanted kiss took place after Glaze entered the audition room and judge Luke Bryan mentioned Perry’s 2008 track “I Kissed a Girl,” asking:
“Have you kissed a girl and liked it?”
Pretty weird thing to bring up, right?
Producers clearly were aware of Glaze’s background and told Bryan to touch on it.
Glaze said he had never gotten to first base and added:
“I have never been in a relationship and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship.”
Perry proceeded to call the teen over and he gave Perry a peck on the cheek… prior to her pulling him close for one on the lips.
The singer, it should be mentioned, did NOT earn a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
But it should also now be mentioned that Glaze penned a lengthy message on Instagram to clarify his stance on this surprising scandal.
“I am not complaining about the kiss from Katy Perry at all,” he wrote Wednesday afternoon, adding in detail:
“The way certain articles are worded is not done by me and my true intentions are not accurately represented in every article you read about the situation.
“I am not complaining about the kiss I am very honored and thankful to be apart of American Idol the main purpose for the show is to find stars and new music artist.
“I do wish i would have performed better in the moment.
“I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss i should have been able to perform under pressure.”
The singer continued:
I do not think i was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and i am thankful for the judges comments and critiques.
I was uncomfortable in a sense of how i have never been kissed before and was not expecting it.
You can read Glaze’s full commentary above.
What do you think of this unwanted kiss?
Did Perry cross a line? Would it be an even bigger deal if genders were reversed and a male judge swooped in to kiss a female contestant?
Also: Why the heck did ABC bring back American Idol?!?
Hadn’t it been well established years ago that the franchise was very long past its prime?!?