Katy Perry felt 'battered and bruised' by criticism of her space trip

Singer Katy Perry has admitted that she felt "battered and bruised" by the backlash following her recent trip to space, but assured fans that she is fine and will "keep looking to the light".

Two weeks after the high-profile Blue Origin trip, during which she performed an 11-minute flight alongside five other women, the US star said the "online world" had tried to turn her into a "human piñata".

Her comments came after fans paid for a billboard in New York to show their support for her ahead of her world tour, the BBC reported.

Responding to a fan's account that posted a video of the billboard, Perry said she was "so grateful" for her fans. She added that they are "on this beautiful and wild journey together."

Katy Perry has been one of the most successful pop singers of the past two decades, but in the past year, comments about her have become more negative.

The ill-received album was accompanied by the lead single "Woman's World," whose video many perceived as regressive.

She was then criticized for her participation in Jeff Bezos's all-female crewed space flight on Blue Origin, during which she sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and showed the track list for her new tour to the camera during the flight.

Some commentators said it was "inappropriate" for celebrities to take part in such a fleeting and expensive trip at a time of economic hardship.

However, singer Lily Allen apologised this week for "being mean" towards Perry. She said that while she disagreed with the flight, it was not necessary to join in the "pile on" against her colleague.

Some fans voiced their support for Katy, rallying to pay for a digital billboard in New York's Times Square for 24 hours.

A Brazilian fan account on Instagram explained that fans did it to "remind her that she is never alone; our love for her is boundless, unwavering and eternal."

"So proud of you and your magical journey and love you to the moon and back. Know that you are safe, seen and celebrated. We'll see you around the world, this is just the beginning," the fan added.

Perry left a comment expressing his gratitude.

"I love you, I grew up with you and I'm so excited to see you around the world this year! Please know that I'm okay, I've done a lot of work around figuring out who I am, what's real and what's important to me," she told fans.

The singer stressed that she "isn't perfect" but rather is on a "human journey playing the game of life with a large audience and sometimes fall."

"But I get up and keep playing the game and somehow through my battered and bruised adventure I keep looking at the light and in that light a new level is unlocked," she pointed out.

"When the 'online' world tries to turn me into a human piñata, I take it with grace and send them love because I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is a much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed," she added.

Katy Perry has just begun a world tour that will run through December and will cover the United States, Canada, South America, Canada, Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

The pop star said she looks forward to "seeing your faces every night, singing in unison, reading your notes, feeling your warmth". | BGNES