'American Idol' Contestant Sara Beth Liebe Calls Judge Katy Perry's 'Mom-Shaming' Joke 'Hurtful'
'If you're a good mama and you love your babies, that's all that really matters," Liebe said in a recent TikTok video addressing the awkward audition
American Idol contestant and mother of three Sara Beth Liebe is responding to her awkward audition that occurred on the March 5 episode of the hit reality competition show.
Right before Liebe, 25, started to perform, she told judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry her age and that she had three kids.
All three acted shocked and Perry, 38, stood up and began fanning herself.
"If Katy lays on the table, I think I'm going to pass out," Liebe said.
"Honey, you've been laying on the table too much," Perry responded.
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Related: American Idol: Daughter of Former Idol Finalist Nadia Turner Takes Judges — and Mom! — by Surprise
Several days after the audition aired, Liebe took to TikTok to address what happened. "There was a joke that was made that's gotten a lot of attention, and I've gotten a lot of people reaching out to me asking how I'm feeling," she said at the start of the video.
She recalled telling the judges that she was a young mother of three, before "Katy Perry made a joke that wasn't super kind."
"It was embarrassing to have that on TV, and it was hurtful," the contestant said. "I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it's hard enough to be a mom and it's hard enough to be a woman."
"I see all of the young moms and just moms in general ... keep loving your babies. Nobody deserves to feel crappy about that. If you're a good mama and you love your babies, that's all that really matters. Other comments just don't feel necessary," Liebe added.
Reps for Perry and American Idol did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment Wednesday morning.
During the audition, Perry — who is a mom too, sharing 2-year-old daughter Daisy with fiancé Orlando Bloom — asked Liebe how much she wanted to be a singer.
"Is this your dream? If it's not your dream you might need to leave because there are a lot of dreams behind you," Perry told her.
"Right, literally I'm still processing. I can't even answer," Liebe said.
The judges ended up sending her to Hollywood with Bryan, 46, voting yes, Richie, 73, voting no, and Perry ultimately sending her through.
"Yeah, I guess? Why not?" Perry said.
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