Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space trip sparks controversy; Lily Allen apologizes for criticism, citing internalized misogyny.
When Katy Perry decided to shoot for the stars with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket, she probably didn’t expect to crash-land in a controversy hotter than re-entry.
On April 14, 2025, Perry blasted off with an all-female crew that could’ve doubled as a power-lunch guest list: journalist Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez (Bezos’ fiancée), ex-NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen, and producer Kerianne Flynn. The vibe? Cosmic girl power.
The mission? A nod to the first all-female space flight in over 60 years, meant to spark some inspiration for women in STEM. Eleven minutes of zero-gravity later, though, it wasn’t applause waiting back on Earth—it was a chorus of eye-rolls.
The backlash hit fast and hard. Critics dubbed it tone-deaf, a billionaire’s vanity project, and a publicity stunt that landed all wrong amid economic jitters and climate dread. “Bezos’ Babes Take a Selfie in Space” might as well have been the trending hashtag. Perry kissed the ground post-flight—maybe humming “Roar” to herself—but the internet wasn’t letting this one slide.
Then came Lily Allen, the British pop star who’s never been shy with a hot take. She jumped into the fray, tossing some sharp-edged shade Perry’s way and amplifying the skeptics who saw the trip as more photo op than progress.
Social media did its thing: memes flew, takes got spicier, and the whole mess bounced from X to TikTok like a viral earworm. But just when you thought this was another petty celeb spat, Allen flipped the script.
On April 28, she dropped a bombshell: “I would actually like to apologize for being mean about Katy Perry last week. There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it. It was my own internalized misogyny.” Mic drop.
That’s not just a sorry—that’s a self-aware gut-punch wrapped in a cultural zinger. The internet split like a bad breakup: some cheered her for owning it, others smirked and called it a PR pivot. But that phrase—“internalized misogyny”—stuck. It’s the kind of line that makes you wonder: Are we all a little too quick to trash women who dare to go big?
Let’s zoom out. Perry, the glitter-dusted diva who once rode a robotic lion at the Super Bowl, traded sequins for a spacesuit. It was supposed to be a win—a middle finger to the glass ceiling, or at least the atmosphere.
The crew wasn’t just window dressing either; these are women with resumes that could flex on anyone. Historically, it echoed trailblazers like Valentina Tereshkova, who cracked the cosmic boys’ club decades ago. But in 2025, good intentions don’t shield you from the snark machine. The optics—billionaires playing astronaut while we’re all down here pinching pennies—didn’t help.
Allen’s apology, though, turns this from a tabloid blip into something deeper. It’s not just about a rocket or a pop star; it’s about how we react when women aim high.
Do we lift them up? Drag them down? Or just keep scrolling? Space tourism’s only getting bigger—more celebs will probably strap in soon—but this saga proves it’s not all smooth orbiting. Reputations can crater fast, and the court of public opinion doesn’t care about your flight plan.
Perry’s likely back in the studio by now, shrugging it off with a wink and a new banger. Allen’s words, though, linger like a killer chorus. They’re a reminder that even in the age of rocket rides, we’re still lugging around the same old baggage—judgment, jealousy, and all.
So here’s to Katy, Lily, and the rest of us: stumbling, soaring, and sometimes saying sorry. Maybe that’s the real journey worth taking.
source rolling stone
