Katy Perry on Manchester Bombing at Ariana Grande Show: ‘We Need to Coexist’
Katy Perry said she felt “devastated” following the terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England Monday. Speaking with radio host Elvis Duran, Perry said, “I think the greatest thing we can do now is unite as people, as fan bases, all of it. Whatever we say behind people’s backs, the Internet can be a little bit ruthless as far as fan bases go but I think that the greatest thing we can do is just unite and love on each other. No barriers, no borders, we all just need to co-exist.”
Perry also addressed fellow pop star Grande’s fans directly, saying, “I just want to say that I love all of you out there and I just know that some of our fan bases kind of go both ways. Ari’s fans are my fans, and my fans are Ari’s fans. We’re just all loving on each other and we should just stay loving on each other.”
The “Swish Swish” singer’s comments on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show follow a pair of messages she posted to Twitter Monday after news of the bombing broke. “Praying for everyone at Ariana Grande‘s show,” Perry said. “Broken hearted for the families tonight. Broken hearted for Ari. Broken hearted for the state of this world.”
At least 22 attendees were killed by a suicide bomber outside the Manchester Arena, while around 60 more have been reported injured. On Tuesday, police arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the attack, while British Prime Minister Theresa May said police have the identity of the other assailant, who died when he detonated the device. The so-called Islamic State have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Numerous artists have also voiced their sorrow and support for Grande and her fans, including Harry Styles, Drake, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Missy Elliot, as well as Manchester natives and local music scene stalwarts such as Liam Gallagher, Johnny Marr and Peter Hook.
As for Perry, the pop star is set to release her new album, Witness, June 9th. Over the past year, she’s also embraced her role as an activist, serving as one of Hillary Clinton’s most vocal supporters during the 2016 election and notably donating $10,000 to Planned Parenthood last November.