Wendy’s Responds to Criticism Following Joke About Abandoning Katy Perry in Space
Wendy’s is addressing its contentious posts on X regarding Katy Perry’s space journey.
The “Firework” singer was part of an all-women crew on a Blue Origin spaceflight that soared above Earth for approximately 11 minutes on Monday, April 14. She was accompanied by CBS Mornings host Gayle King and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.
In response to a Pop Crave post stating, “Katy Perry has returned from space,” the official Wendy’s X post tweeted, “Can we send her back.”
The fast-food chain’s social media account continued to jest about Perry’s journey to space. Commenting on a photo of Perry kissing the ground after her return to Earth and exiting the space shuttle, Wendy’s quipped, “I kissed the ground and I liked it,” referencing Perry’s hit song “I Kissed a Girl.”
In a statement to People on Thursday, April 17, Wendy’s clarified that despite its spicy social media quips, the chain holds no grievances against Perry, 40.
“We always bring a bit of spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has immense respect for Katy Perry and her extraordinary talent,” Wendy’s stated.
Monday’s spaceflight faced criticism from many celebrities, including Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Wilde, who raised concerns about the costly expedition during a cost-of-living crisis in the U.S. and its environmental implications.
However, King, 70, defended the spaceflight in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“This is what I would say to that: space is not an either/or, it’s a both/and. Just because you do something in space doesn’t mean you’re detracting from Earth, and what you’re achieving in space aims to improve conditions here on Earth,” she expressed. “What Blue Origin aims to do is tackle waste here and explore ways to send it into space to cleanse our planet. Jeff Bezos has countless ideas, and the dedicated individuals working there are genuinely committed to enhancing our world.”
King further elaborated, “Have you been? If you have and still hold that perspective after returning, I’d love to discuss it.”
“So, I’m very disappointed and saddened by it,” King remarked about the criticism, mentioning that she has received heartfelt messages from women and girls inspired by the all-women space crew.
Perry, King, and Sánchez were joined on the spaceflight by filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe. They became the first all-women crew to embark on a spaceflight since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo journey in 1963.
