Katy Perry deserves an apology from Wendy’s following their social media comments about her Blue Origin space flight, according to a source close to the situation. The fast food company posted several remarks about the singer after her historic April 14 journey as part of the first all-female crew to travel to space since 1963.
The controversy began when Wendy’s official social media account responded to news of Perry’s return from space with “Can we send her back.” The restaurant chain followed with additional posts including a reference to Perry kissing the ground upon landing.
“Wendy’s didn’t make a joke — they made a choice. Their recent posts on X aimed at Katy Perry were not only disrespectful, but blatantly inappropriate,” the source told media outlets. “This wasn’t harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman.”
The comment that drew particular criticism was the one suggesting Perry be sent back to space. “Telling a woman that she should be ‘sent back’ is shameful bullying and reflects a troubling willingness to tear down in today’s society,” the source said. “What’s worse is that the face of Wendy’s is a woman, which makes this decision not just hypocritical, but painfully ironic.”
Perry participated in the space flight alongside journalist Gayle King, philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, astronaut Amanda Nguyen, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn. The Blue Origin mission lasted approximately 11 minutes.
When asked to respond to the criticism, Wendy’s issued a statement that stopped short of an apology: “We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent.”
The situation gained additional attention when singer Kesha shared a photo of herself sipping from a Wendy’s cup shortly after the controversy erupted, which some interpreted as taking sides in the dispute.
“Everyone expected more from a brand with this kind of platform. Wendy’s should ‘do the right thing’ (the name of one of their core values) apologize and do better in the future,” the source added.
Perry has not publicly commented on the social media exchange. The singer was seen returning to her daily routine after the space journey, including preparing her daughter’s school lunch.
