'American Idol' contestant: Perry kiss not harassment

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March 16, 2018

LOS ANGELES -- Singer Katy Perry kissed a contestant on "American Idol" and he did not like it.

But Benjamin Glaze is downplaying some backlash aimed at Perry, who is a judge on the show. The 19-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday to say he did not think he was sexually harassed.

The singer from Oklahoma says he was uncomfortable when Perry kissed him on the lips as he auditioned during the show's two-night season opener on ABC. Glaze says he had never been kissed before.

Hi everyone, I would like to clear a few things up for anyone who is confused, concerned, or angry. I am not complaining about the kiss from Katy Perry at all, doing a few news reports and being interviewed by many different reporters has caused some major questions. The way certain articles are worded is not done by me, and my true intentions are not accurately represented in every article you read about the situation. I am not complaining about the kiss, I am very honored and thankful to have been apart of American Idol. The main purpose for the show is to find stars and new music artist. I do wish I would have performed better in the moment. I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss. I should have been able to perform under pressure. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques. I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it. My main goal is to reach people through the universal love of music and not cause strife or anger against anyone or about any situation! Please take into consideration that I don’t believe my views have been appropriately communicated through the media! Thank you to everyone who has followed me in this journey and I hope I answered a few questions. . . . . . #americanidol #katyperry #music

A post shared by Ben Issac Glaze (@benjaminglaze) on Mar 14, 2018 at 2:32pm PDT

He needed some water before singing Nick Jonas' "Levels," which Perry called "a bit rushed."

Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan did not send Glaze to the next round. Glaze says he should have picked another song and calmed himself down regardless of the kiss. (AP)
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