"American Idol" contestant says Katy Perry's kiss did not upset him
LOS ANGELES — One "American Idol" got his first kiss ever from Katy Perry, but he was not exactly over the moon about it. Perry kissed 19-year-old singer Benjamin Glaze from Oklahoma during his audition after he revealed that he had never been kissed before.
"No, I've never been in a relationship -- I can't kiss a girl without being in a relationship," he said.
But Glaze is downplaying the media backlash aimed at Perry, who is a judge on the show. The teen took to Instagram on Wednesday to say he did not think he was sexually harassed.
"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," he wrote. "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 ... I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques."
Earlier, Glaze told the New York Times, "I was a tad bit uncomfortable ... I wanted to save it for my first relationship. I wanted it to be special."
On the show's two-night season opener on ABC, Glaze's surprise was clear. He asked for 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.
