"Not them wanting to save face"— Internet reacts as Wendy's addresses viral social media posts about Katy Perry's space mission

Wendy's has landed in the middle of a social media debate after it posted a series of controversial tweets about Katy Perry's Blue Origin space trip on April 14, 2025. The backlash was swift following a viral post from the fast food chain's official X account (formerly Twitter), which joked about Perry's return from space, asking, "Can we send her back."

Another post added, "When we said women in stem this isn't what we meant." These posts came shortly after Katy Perry, 40, returned from a suborbital trip to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin's all-female NS-25 crew flight, alongside journalist Gayle King, Blue Origin executive Lauren Sánchez, and others.

While the flight, which lasted roughly 11 minutes, aimed to celebrate women in STEM, it quickly became the subject of pop culture commentary, much of which centered around Katy Perry.

On April 16, People published an article featuring a source close to the situation who stated that Wendy's "didn't make a joke — they made a choice." The source alleged that the fast food chain used its platform "to publicly demean a woman," and urged Wendy's to apologize, saying:

"Everyone expected more from a brand with this kind of platform."

Wendy's later issued a statement to People, stopping short of an apology but clarifying:

"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."

Despite the attempt at damage control, fans were split. Many criticized Wendy's tone, accusing the brand of unprofessionalism, while others defended the humor, saying it was in line with the chain's usual online personality.

"Not them trying to save face, they need to stand on what they said!" wrote one user on X.

"RIP the intern that lost their job for that banger of a post," another joked.

Others criticized the tone of the tweets, suggesting that it undermined the professionalism expected from corporate accounts.

"It doesn’t matter, whoever is running the X account needs to be taken into accountability. They were constantly replying to comments, using X lingo. Mind you it’s a FRANCHISE page. Very unprofessional, you don’t see McDonald’s laughing out loud in the comments with people," another shared.

Some, however, pushed back against the outrage, calling the tweet humorous and harmless.

"I thought it was pretty funny. It was just a joke. I like to see companies be more spicy on this app instead of just advertise all day long," a person tweeted.

"No need to apologize @Wendys you ate that tweet," said another.

"Wendy's owe her no apology, the world is dying and rich people are taking trips to space, f*ck them," shared one more user.

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Wendy's tweets about Katy Perry going to space

The original People report claimed that Wendy's tweets "contributed to a culture where women are punished for standing out," particularly since the space mission involved an all-female crew. The source said the brand's jab about "sending Katy Perry back" was not just rude, but "shameful bullying," and noted the irony in the fact that Wendy's brand icon is a woman.

The controversy also stirred discourse around the mission itself. While Blue Origin emphasized the importance of female representation in space and STEM, critics—including celebrities like Olivia Munn and Amy Schumer—called the space flight tone-deaf in light of global crises.

Gayle King addressed the criticism on CBS Mornings on April 15, saying:

"There was nothing frivolous about what we do." She added, "Space is not an either-or... it's trying to make things better here on Earth."

Sánchez, Bezos' partner and also part of the mission, echoed those sentiments in an interview with People.

"I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that put their heart and soul into this vehicle."

Meanwhile, Katy Perry herself has yet to respond to the situation. The singer has not publicly commented on either the tweets or the wider reaction to her involvement in the mission.

While aboard the Blue Origin flight, Katy Perry unveiled the setlist for her upcoming Lifetimes Tour, creatively revealing it on a paper butterfly during the journey. The tour is set to commence on April 23, 2025, in Mexico City, marking her return to the global stage after several years.