An "American Idol contestant has tried to tamp down the controversy over judge Katy Perry unexpectedly kissing him on the lips during his audition.
"I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques, said Benjamin Glaze, who revealed during the two-night premiere of the ABC reboot that he had previously never kissed a girl. "I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it.
Glaze, who wrote the statement on Instagram on Wednesday night, added: "My main goal is to reach people through the universal love of music and not cause strife or anger against anyone or about any situation.
"American Idol had heavily promoted the kiss moment. Before his Instagram post, Glaze told the New York Times in an interview published earlier Wednesday that he was "a tad bit uncomfortable. The newspaper reported that he had put off his first kiss and "wanted to save it for my first relationship. I wanted it to be special.
"Would I have done it if she said, Would you kiss me?' No, I would have said no, he told the Times. "I know a lot of guys would be like, Heck yeah!' But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.
The Times also reported that he didn't feel he had been harassed by Perry and was grateful she tweeted about him. Since the October audition, Glaze said he's talked it over with friends and they agreed with him the kiss "didn't really count. It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about. That's what a real first kiss is.
Still, the interview and subsequent attention on the audition sparked criticism of Perry, ranging from calling it a "#HimToo moment, to arguing that the exchange would have been considered assault had an older male judge kissed an unsuspecting 19-year-old girl.
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