Katy Perry got very emotional during the season finale of American Idol on Sunday, May 19. The singer, 39, started crying after Abi Carter won the competition.

Perry, who has been a judge on the show since 2018, hugged her fellow judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, while Carter sang Billie Eilish's song "What Was I Made For?" Carter won against Will Moseley and Jack Blocker, who came in second and third.

Perry announced earlier this year that she would be leaving American Idol after seven seasons. She shared this news on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, hinting at new projects, including new music, coming later in 2024. “I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol,” Perry said. “I love Idol so much. It's connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”

In an interview with Taste of Country Nights, Luke Bryan said Perry's departure wasn't a huge surprise. "I had heard whispers that she was thinking about it — it wasn't a shock," he said. Bryan also spoke about their friendship and how he has seen Perry's daughter, Daisy Dove, grow up. Perry and her fiancé, Orlando Bloom, welcomed Daisy in August 2020.

Perry joined American Idol alongside Bryan, 47, and Richie, 74, when the show returned on ABC after its original run on Fox. She has been a significant part of the show's revival and has formed close bonds with her co-judges.