Pop singer Katy Perry faces renewed scrutiny after resurfaced footage showed her groping Justin Bieber and kissing a 14-year-old boy during two separate televised events. The clips have re-emerged at a damaging moment, coming on the heels ofmultiple women accusing her of sexual misconduct.
The resurfaced footage, alongside Ruby Rose's and two other women's sexual assault allegations, has ignited serious discussions regarding consent and double standards within the entertainment industry.
A recentDaily Mailreport highlighted the resurfaced footage showing Perry engaging in questionable physical contact during two separate televised events. The first incident occurred at the Capital FM Summertime Ball in Wembley Stadium in London in June 2012, where she openly grabbed the singer's buttocks.
The two musicians were present as performers at the event. They met backstage and hugged, but Perry suddenly changed her expression, dropped her hand to Bieber's left backside, and mouthed 'Sorry, Selena', referencing Bieber's on-and-off girlfriend at the time, Selena Gomez.
The footage also showed Perry onstage with a 14-year-old boy named Robert during her set. 'Are you nervous?' she asked, and he nodded. Perry asked if he stayed in school, and he gave the same response. 'That's good, you're going to be really, really popular on Monday,' she told him.
Perry then warned Robert that what she would do next would be 'awkward' in front of his dad, before asking him: 'Have you ever been kissed?' The teenager shook his head. Perry leaned in and kissed him on the lips as the crowd cheered.
'Honey, you might be too young to understand this, but when a woman kisses you, you gotta kiss her back,' Perry told him, according to the Daily Mail report. Robert approached and gave her a peck on the cheek.
Katy Perry is seen groping Justin Bieber's butt and kissing a teenage fan on stage in disturbing clips that have resurfaced in the wake of sexual assault claim against the Teenage Dream singerhttps://t.co/cz8ZNswjQI🔗pic.twitter.com/pFWiMF4KKs
Social media users have analysed the footage, revealing a distinct double standard in how the public views consent based on age. Reactions to the Bieber footage were largely dismissive because he was already 18.
One user commented: 'Wonder why everyone wanted to grope the golden boy. He was 18 though, that's a full grown adult.' Others echoed this sentiment, arguing that Bieber was responsible for defending himself. 'You're a grown man at 18. Stand up for yourself if you don't like it,' one person wrote. Another dismissed the reaction entirely: 'Seriously, I can't believe I clicked on this click bait. Him: 18+ Her: 20s. Literally, there's nothing to see here.'
Source: International Business Times UK
