Katy Perry biography, baby, husband, net worth, daughter, height 2025

Katy Perry Biography

Katy Perry is an American singer and songwriter who burst onto the music scene at 15. In 2001, her debut album "Katy Hudson" failed to chart, but her next record "One of the Boys", recorded in the pop-rock genre, made it to the top 10 of the Billboard 200.

Katy Perry's songs are known and loved all over the world

She's behind globally beloved hits such as "Fireworks", "Roar", "Part of Me", "Hot'n'Cold", "This Is How We Do" and many others.

Childhood

Katy Perry's real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She was born on October 25, 1984, and was the second child of Maurice and Mary Hudson. Her parents were pastors in a Pentecostal church. Both had wild pasts: Mary once dated Jimi Hendrix, and Maurice experimented with acid with Timothy Leary.

Katy Perry's family (right): parents, sister and brother

Eventually, both found religion and settled down. The couple spent seven years traveling across America, establishing churches in each new town before finally settling in Santa Barbara, California. There, their three children were born: Katy, her older sister Angela, and younger brother David.

As Katy recalled, the family was always struggling financially. They sometimes relied on welfare and food donations from parishioners to feed their kids.

Her parents raised their children under strict religious rules that sometimes bordered on the absurd - Lucky Charms cereal was banned because Mary thought the name sounded too much like "Lucifer."

Katy Perry's real last name is Katheryn Hudson

Katy reluctantly attended a Christian school, went to a Christian summer camp every summer, and sang gospel in the church choir on weekends. But that didn't stop her from secretly loving the forbidden music of "Nirvana", Queen, Heart, Incubus, songs by Alanis Morissette and Joni Mitchell. She'd sneak over to friends' houses to listen to her favorite artists. Away from home, she was a total rebel—hanging with troublemakers, skateboarding, rollerblading, and surfing. She was definitely the black sheep of the family.

Now they're used to my dark humor and constant sarcasm about everything. Even when I thought I was this devout Christian kid, they could see the real me. I think I only became whole when I left my parents' house. I had no idea there was a whole other world beyond all that church stuff—it was like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

Beginning of Career

Katy's musical journey began thanks to her older sister's influence. She'd listen to and sing along with the church music tapes from her sister's collection. For her 13th birthday, Katy received an acoustic guitar as a gift from her parents and soon wrote her first original song.

Katy Perry performs her very first song

By 15, Katy knew she wanted to dedicate her life to music – she earned her high school diploma and enrolled at Dos Pueblos High School as a music major. Perry then took vocal training at the Santa Barbara Music Academy. There, Nashville rock musicians Steve Thomas and Jennifer Knapp discovered her talent and saw Katy's potential.

The musicians took her under their wing, inviting her to their recording studio where Katy Perry cut her first demos. They helped her perfect her guitar skills and craft compelling songs. In March 2001, Katy released her debut album "Katy Hudson", recorded in the Christian pop genre.

At age 17, Katy left her father's house and moved to LA

While critics received the album warmly, its niche genre meant low sales and the record went largely unnoticed. She did land an opening slot for Phil Joel from Christian rock band Newsboys on their tour. During a year of touring the country, Katy connected with producer Glen Ballard. He brought the 17-year-old singer to Los Angeles, where she made the switch from church music to "secular" and started crafting new songs.

In 2003, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry, dropping her father's surname for her mother's maiden name. She soon landed a deal with Columbia Records and started recording a full album. Three years later, with the album nearly ready for release, the label abruptly dropped her.

Between 2003 and 2006, she scored some notable wins: her song "Simple" was included in the soundtrack of the movie "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" with Blake Lively, she sang in the background in Mick Jagger's song "Old Habits Die Hard" and in the song "Goodbye For Now" by the band P.O.D. She also appeared in the music video for the song "Cupid's Chokehold" by Gym Class Heroes.

Katy Perry in the Gym Class Heroes music video

Breakthrough

In 2007, Capitol Records released Katy's EP "Ur so Gay". She had low expectations for the track – she'd recorded it just for fun. Some critics accused the lyrics of promoting homophobia and gay bashing, while others saw it as LGBT-positive. Katy's parents even criticized the song: "We hate this music. It promotes homosexuality, and according to the Bible, that's a grave sin."

Her follow-up track "I Kissed a Girl" only fueled the controversy. "If two girls kissing is cool, but two guys is vulgar? Katy Perry should ditch these tired gay stereotypes!" critics wrote. But most listeners understood the irony hidden in the lyrics. Madonna noticed "Ur so Gay" and called it one of her favorites at the time.

Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl

In June 2008, Katy Perry released her debut album under her new stage name, "One of the Boys", which hit #9 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum in the US. Critics heard strong Alanis Morissette influences throughout – an artist Katy has always admired.

The famous cover photo of 'One of the Boys'

In spring 2010, Perry dropped "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg, and it absolutely exploded online – 8 million iTunes downloads in just one month. She also recorded another single ("E.T.") with rapper Kanye West.

Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg – California Gurls

In July, she released "Teenage Dream" as the lead single from her upcoming album, and the record quickly topped charts in Canada, the US, and the UK. She immediately launched a worldwide tour to promote the album and released "Firework" as another promotional single.

Katy Perry's clips are always colorful and captivating

In March 2012, "Part of Me" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It marked her seventh #1 hit. The song also hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The track appeared on Perry's "Teenage Dream" reissue.

Further Career

Katy Perry began working on her fourth solo album "Prism" in November 2012. In an interview with Vogue, she revealed that the new recordings would be "dark and full of disappointment" as she processed her personal experiences following her breakup with her husband (read more about this in the "Personal Life" section below). At the last moment, she completely rethought the concept - the new songs inspired self-improvement, overcoming difficulties, and moving forward.

The album 'Prism' opened a new chapter in the singer's life

In August 2013, she presented the lead single "Roar". As always, audiences were treated to a very well-produced video, but the lyrics of the song were mercilessly criticized for "predictability and abundance of cliches". Later, American stand-up comedian and singer Bo Burnham told his listeners to "kill yourself if you see meaning in Katy Perry's songs", referring to the song "Roar".

Katy Perry – Roar

The album "Prism" was released in October 2013 and was met with mixed reactions. Like the lead single, Perry was criticized for being formulaic and relying heavily on recycled sounds from her previous album. Despite the criticism, "Prism" received 4 Grammy nominations.

By that time, Katy Perry had become one of the most significant pop performers in America. Her Super Bowl halftime show performance (at the NFL championship) proved this. Among other contenders were Rihanna and the band Coldplay. During halftime, Katy delivered a spectacular show and performed duets with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. Her performance was watched by 118.5 million Americans - it became the most-watched in Super Bowl history.

In July 2017, Katy Perry's fifth studio album "Witness" was released, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Before the release of the new album, Katy Perry changed her image

Of the 15 tracks, "Chained To The Rhythm," recorded with Bob Marley's son Skip, became an undeniable hit. She performed it at the 59th Grammy ceremony, surprising the audience with her performance: usually avoiding political statements, this time Katy couldn't hold back her emotions - giant skeletons of Donald Trump and Theresa May appeared on stage.

Katy Perry - Chained To The Rhythm ft. Skip Marley

In the summer of the same year, the singer worked with the recognized king of electronic music Calvin Harris on the song "Feels", then sang a duet with Nicki Minaj on the composition "Swish Swish". At the end of the year, Katy announced that she would join the jury of the show American Idol.

2019 proved to be a rough year for Katy. First, her engagement joy with Orlando Bloom was overshadowed by a plagiarism lawsuit. Rapper Flame considered the beat from Katy Perry's song "Dark Horse" to be plagiarism of his composition "Joyful Noise", released in 2008. The jury ordered the singer to pay her colleague $550,000.

KATY PERRY VS. FLAME LAWSUIT: Let's Compare!

But Katy Perry's troubles did not end there. Model Josh Kloss, who starred in Katy's "Teenage Dream" video in 2010, accused the singer of sexual harassment. According to Josh, at one of the parties, Perry tricked him into pulling down his pants and underwear, exposing him to the guests. After this, the singer's representatives forced Kloss to stay quiet about the incident. In addition, he complained that he was paid $650 for appearing in the video, while Katy made millions on it.

Katy Perry and Josh Kloss in the 'Teenage Dream' video

In November 2019, airport footage from Mumbai leaked online, after which Katy was accused of disrespecting airport security rules. In the video, the singer can be seen ignoring an airport employee's request to show her passport.

Katy Perry beyond music

In 2009, Katy was invited to make a cameo in the comedy "Get Him to the Greek" with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill in the leading roles. Unfortunately, her scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

The singer appeared in episode 15 of season 6 of the popular series "How I Met Your Mother". She played a sweet, naive girl who got Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) to unexpectedly open up.

Katy Perry in the series 'How I Met Your Mother'

She also had a cameo in the comedy "Zoolander 2" and voiced Smurfette in "The Smurfs" animated film.

Katy has her own perfume line: these are the fragrances "Meow", "Purr", "Killer Queen", "Mad Love", "Mad Potion", "Royal Revolution".

Photo shoot to advertise the fragrance Meow by Katy Perry

In the spring of 2012, sales started for the add-on for the computer game "The Sims 3: Showtime – Katy Perry Collector's Edition". In the summer of the same year, sales of the in-game catalog "Katy Perry Sweet Treats" started.

Katy Perry's Personal Life

Early in her career, Katy Perry dated musician Justin York for about a year (from 2002 to 2003). After their breakup, she started a romance with Canadian musician Matthew Thiessen, which lasted until 2006.

She then had a brief fling with actor Johnny Lewis and a relationship with "Gym Class Heroes" vocalist Travis McCoy, whom she met while filming their music video. The couple broke up in 2009.

Katy Perry and her ex-boyfriend Travis McCoy

While filming "Get Him to the Greek," Katy met actor and comedian Russell Brand, who played eccentric rock musician Aldous Snow in the movie. Soon they were spotted together at Paris Fashion Week. In December of the same year, Russell publicly declared Katy Perry as his girlfriend.

Pictured: Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Three weeks later, Brand invited her on vacation to India and proposed at the foot of a mountain on New Year's Eve. The couple's wedding also took place in India – on October 23, 2010, they exchanged vows in the Ranthambore nature reserve.

Six months later, Katy sued Australian tabloid NW, whose journalist accused the singer of cheating on her husband. Rumors began to spread, which Russell shut down by tweeting about the unprecedented strength of their relationship.

Katy Perry's Married Life (2011)

In November 2011, reports surfaced about cracks in Katy and Russell's marriage. The stars' reps denied the reports, but a month later admitted – yes, their relationship had cracked. The couple spent Christmas 2011 apart. Katy went on a vacation to Hawaii, while Russell appeared in public without his wedding ring.

On July 14, 2012, the couple finalized their divorce. As it turned out, the reason was Russell's jealousy – after seeing paparazzi photos of Katy holding hands with guitarist Robert Ackroyd, he flew into a rage. Brand himself claimed that he gave up on their marriage too early and considers it the biggest mistake of his life.

The photo that destroyed Katy Perry's marriage

Later, the singer was rumored to be dating "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson, Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend John Mayer, and DJ Diplo.

In January 2016, Katy started a relationship with actor Orlando Bloom. They had met three years earlier at a charity dinner, but it didn't go beyond a pleasant social conversation then. However, at the "Golden Globes" afterparty in January 2016, sparks flew between them, and all eyes were on Orlando and Katy as they danced together.

A couple of weeks later, they were caught kissing at an Adele concert. In April, they officially made their first public appearance as a couple at the Coachella music festival. That same summer, paparazzi photographed the couple during a canoe trip: Katy was in a bikini, and Orlando was completely naked.

By the end of the year, the singer realized that she and her boyfriend had different life priorities. Bloom was adamantly against marriage, family, and children. On March 1, 2017, Katy and Orlando announced their breakup. To be fair, they parted ways without fighting and asked fans not to blame anyone for the situation.

In 2017, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom broke up

However, the couple managed to work things out and got back together at the beginning of 2018, celebrating the New Year in Japan. A source close to Katy told the press that the singer tried desperately to forget the actor, but just couldn't. The couple decided to keep their reunion private, preferring to stay out of the spotlight.

2018: Katy and Orlando are back together!

By October, it was clear that the couple's relationship had reached a new level – Orlando introduced Katy to his son Flynn from his relationship with Miranda Kerr. It later turned out that he had also introduced Katy to Miranda, and the women got along quite well.

In February 2019, rumors swirled that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom had secretly tied the knot after eagle-eyed fans spotted a wedding ring on the singer's finger. On August 27, 2020, the couple had a daughter. The baby girl was named Daisy Dove.

Katy Perry and her daughter Daisy Dove on vacation

Katy Perry Now

While embracing motherhood, Katy hasn't forgotten about her music. The day after the birth of her baby girl Daisy Dove, she released the album "Smile". In December of the same year, she surprised fans with the mini-album "Cosmic Energy", inspired by the rare astronomical event when Jupiter and Saturn aligned.

Katy Perry – Electric

In 2021, Perry delighted fans with new singles "Cry About It Later" and "Electric", and made her first public appearance postpartum in September. Her look takes us back to her early career when Katy was the rebellious pop star singing about kissing girls.

Katy Perry makes her first public appearance after giving birth

In November 2023, Katy showed her daughter for the first time, who had just turned three. During the concert, the singer greeted Daisy, who was standing on the dance floor.

Daughter of Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

Katy Perry: latest news and articles

Katy Perry`s tour was criticized online for her strange robot dances on stage

28 Apr 2025

David Dunn

Before Katy Perry was please us with a new songs and with an not ordinary music videos, nowadays it`s only about gossips and «yellow journalism».

2021-05-15 21:13:32
Erika Clark

Many woman are getting better with age but it`s not about Katy Perry, she changed in the worst sight.

2021-04-28 10:14:17
Ryan Wilson

Katy Perry has no equal but in her personal life she is not really happy: romance, divorces, disassembly...

2021-04-04 23:13:20
Theresa Young

For a girl from a conservative believer family, it`s a very unexpected image of her :) Before I liked many of her songs and now I stopped to follow her.

2021-03-31 12:45:57
Juan Bush

Charming Katy was paying attention more before then now to her creative work and that`s a pity.

2021-03-05 19:25:31
ㅤㅤ ㅤℓєgєи∂αяу

she's not 1,69 she's 1,73

2018-12-26 23:57:43

Photos: Katy Perry