Wendy’s may be best known for its square burgers and tasty chicken nuggets, but its social media account has drawn some attention over the years for its sassy commentary on movies and other pop culture happenings. This week the fast food staple shocked some fans by firing strays at Katy Perry after her Blue Origin space flight, and after getting called out for demeaning women, Wendy’s has issued a response.
Wendy’s Called Out For ‘Blatantly Inappropriate’ Katy Perry Space Flight Posts
On April 14, a six-woman crew that included Katy Perry, Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez and others launched into space for an 11-minute flight. While many people who watched it via CBS’ coverage on the 2025 TV schedule or streaming with a Paramount+ subscription had plenty of jokes about King’s terrified face as she boarded the aircraft, others like Perry’s former American Idol colleague Luke Bryan had amusing takes on the singer’s post-flight comments.
Wendy’s was among those needling the “Firework” singer, as the burger chain’s X account replied to an announcement that Katy Perry had returned from space by deadpanning: “Can we send her back.” Another post followed:
I kissed the ground and i liked it https://t.co/pjBpDIZ9k8April 15, 2025
While there is admittedly some humor to be found here — and many X (Twitter) users voiced their support for Wendy’s — there was also quite a bit of pushback from those pointing out the problematic nature of the posts. An insider called Wendy’s actions “irresponsible,” telling People:
Wendy’s didn’t make a joke — they made a choice. Their recent posts on X aimed at Katy Perry were not only disrespectful, but blatantly inappropriate. This wasn’t harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman.
The source went on to say that Wendy’s comments contribute to a culture that punishes women for standing out. They continued:
Telling a woman that she should be ‘sent back’ is shameful bullying and reflects a troubling willingness to tear down in today’s society. What’s worse is that the face of Wendy’s is a woman, which makes this decision not just hypocritical, but painfully ironic.
That sentiment was echoed by many on social media, who commented things like:
- But it is okay for a billion dollar company represented by the face of a woman to [demean] another woman for likes? 🤔🤨🙄 Seriously, Wendy’s social media used to be funny. That wasn’t funny. That was just mean. – kevinjkohler
- What’s with all this hate for her she didn’t even do anything? – Bakchod_Winger
- Wow…what a professional company 🤮 – BruDiMaio
- Sooo unprovoked – whotfisjovana
- Not even a fan of hers but this is very odd and distasteful of them and their marketing team. Wendy’s who is running your account? – therealgailinax
Days later the Dave’s Double creators finally responded but stopped short of issuing an apology.
Customers’ reactions must have been strong enough to push Wendy’s to action, because days after the launch, the eatery released a statement that read:
We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent.
Wendy’s voiced its collective respect for the former American Idol judge but did not apologize to her for the jokes or speak to the more serious implications of its posts. Instead the statement reminded people that the company has a reputation for injecting humor and a bit of “spice” into its socials.
We’ll have to see if that’s enough to keep Wendy’s beef on its burgers and off of the internet.
