Did Ryan Seacrest Creepily Hit On Katy Perry While ‘American Idol’ Was Live on Air?
American Idol viewers were left confused and, frankly, creeped out after Sunday night's (May 13) episode of the ABC singing competition, during which an uncomfortable moment between judge Katy Perry and longtime host Ryan Seacrest—who appeared to relentlessly and awkwardly hit on the pop star—aired live.
While Perry and co-judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan sat at their panel table, Seacrest, who some believe did not realize the show was back from commercial and live on air, engaged in a bizarre, inappropriate conversation with Perry about her appearance and motherhood.
After Perry reminded the host that they were back on air, Seacrest told the performer, "Your mom [is] pretty."
"My mom? Well, I hope the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Perry joked back, to which Seacrest lowered his voice and replied, "It doesn't. You are, too. But you're not a mom [yet] ... Wanna talk about it?"
After becoming increasingly visibly uncomfortable, Perry asked, "Are we live? Are we back? Is this real TV? Are we professionals?"
Watch the awkward exchange, below:
In 2017, Seacrest was accused of sexual harassment by a former E! wardrobe stylist. The television personality and producer released a statement in response to the investigation, saying, "I'm proud of my workplace reputation, and believe my track record will speak for itself. I'm an advocate for women. I will continue to support their voices."
On February 1, 2018, the Associated Press reported that E! had found "insufficient evidence" to support the claims.