The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards were full of A-listers mingling and trying to impress the millions of people watching at home by performing some of the greatest musical acts fans have seen all year. However, something went down between Katy Perry and Shawn Mendes beforehand on the red carpet that wasn't cool.
Shawn was doing a Facebook Live interview and suddenly turned around. Someone had grabbed his butt mid-interview and he really didn't know what to do. When he finally realized it was Katy, the "Mercy" singer tried to put on a brave face but clearly, he was freaked out.
He looked at the two women interviewing him and said, "Someone was just touching my butt. Sorry. Oh, it was Katy Perry who was touching my butt. I should have turned around."
Visibly upset, Shawn continued, "Sorry, I'm just stunned. I've never met her before."
Not only was Shawn confused, but fans were as well. Many pointed out that this is a double standard and if Shawn had grabbed Katy's butt, it would be the biggest headline of the day. The fact is, a lot of times, we don't see women sexualizing men. We don't see women touching men in ways that they don't want to be touched or without their consent. And we sure don't hear about this role reversal of woman touching men in the news. But, that doesn't mean it should be hidden or considered a taboo. Shawn had every right to feel uncomfortable especially if he had never met Katy before.
The interviewers who were chatting with Shawn at the time said, "What if you grabbed her butt back?" They said this between a few giggles and laughs, but Shawn laid down the law and made it known that this wasn't cool and it wasn't a joke.
He said, "No, I cannot do that. That's not good. That's not a game."
Of course, we have a feeling that this whole thing was meant to be a joke by Katy. She isn't the type of person to do something intentionally that could ever come across as sexual harrassment. She was merely playing a joke on a fellow musician. However, it didn't come across well at all by Shawn or his fans. Katy has yet to apologize for the incident.
It's important to remember that consent is ALWAYS needed. No matter if you are a boy or a girl, or no matter what the situation is. Consent is something that should be a universal thing.
What do you think about the situation? Let us know in the comments below.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please seek help and call 1-800-656-4673.
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
