Katy Perry is breaking her silence about allegations of unwanted kissing and touching made against her last year. Talking with The Guardian to promote her new album, Smile, Perry addressed the allegations, including that she exposed “Teenage Dream†video co-star Josh Kloss to her friends without his consent and tried to kiss a Russian TV host at a party without her consent. “I don’t want to say ‘guilty until proven innocent’ but there’s no checks and balances: A headline just flies, right? And there’s no investigation of what it is,†Perry said. “I don’t want to add to the noise. I want to add to the truth, basically.†She didn’t make a statement on the truth of the allegations, adding, “I don’t comment on all the things that are said about me because if I chase that dragon, it would be about true and false-ing my whole life. It’s distracting from the real movement.â€
Perry has previously been criticized for not denouncing Dr. Luke, the producer accused of sexually assaulting and abusing Kesha, whom she also worked with on One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, and Prism. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times also promoting Smile, her sixth album out August 28, Perry maintained her stance on Dr. Luke. “It sucks when you know both of the players,†she said, referring to Kesha and Dr. Luke. “I can only speak for my own experience, and my own experience [with Dr. Luke] was a healthy one. I believe in due process. And I also believe that only they know the truth.â€