Who are Katy Perry's parents? All about Keith and Mary Hudson

Katy Perry has come a long way from when she released her first Christian gospel album under the tutelage of her strict and conservative parents. It wasn't until 2008 that she left the ultra-conservative lifestyle in favor of her playful and cheeky persona which was first exhibited in her single I Kissed A Girl back in 2008.

The Roar songstress was born on October 25, 1984, to Pentecostal pastors Mary and Maurice Keith Hudson. Her childhood was mostly spent attending religious schools and camps across the United States. Her parents would travel a lot, setting up churches across the country before settling down in Santa Barabara.

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Everything to know about Katy Perry's parents

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Katy Perry's parents, Maurice Keith Hudson and Mary Hudson first met when Mary was a radio news director and journalist. The two got married in 1979 and have been Pentecostal pastors and evangelical ministers for over forty years now.

Perry's parents weren't always ultra-religious. In fact, her mother dated famous American guitarist and songwriter Jimi Hendrix in the 60s and Keith was a part of a drug research team that helped manufacture the drug LSD.

Their lives changed some fifty years ago when Keith claimed that God communicated to him in an apple orchard, inspiring him to dedicate his life to Christianity and start his own ministry.

Despite the ultra-religious ambiance at home, Mary has tried to think outside the box in the past. According to her Instagram profile, she is an author and a speaker with a penchant for raising bold women who think unconventionally. Per Pop Culture, Katy Perry's mother is currently running for a seat in the Republican Party's Central Committee in Santa Barbara County.

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In 2021, Mary and Keith faced a massive accusation claiming misuse of charity donations. According to media reports, a whopping 96% of the donations to Keith Hudson Ministries went towards sourcing lavish hotel retreats, flights, cars, and other luxurious habits.

The report also states that the charity had raised $186,000 in 2019, but spent $178,000 on these expenses - leaving a meager $7,600 in cash at the end of the year.

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How is Katy Perry's relationship with her parents at present?

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Katy Perry's parents have often clashed with her over their differing views on lifestyle. As per a report by NME, Keith delivered sermons slamming her daughter in 2013. In one of those speeches, he referred to his daughter as a devil child, imploring the congregation to pray for her.

“They ask, how can I preach if I produce a girl who sang about kissing another girl?” he said to during his speech.

However, the Firework songstress has learned to embrace the differences. In a 2017 interview with Today, Perry told Natalie Morales:

“They don’t agree with some of the things I do, and they do wish that I could do other things.

Katy Perry raved about her parents in a September 4 episode of Call Her Daddy, calling her mother a saint for the sacrifices she had to go through to manage the family amid some severe financial constraints. According to the Firework singer, her respect for her mother increased even more after giving birth to a child.

"It was a little volatile," Perry told host Alex Cooper of her religious upbringing. "After having my child — I always respected my mother — but the level of respect for my mother, my parents in general, it just went through the roof."

She continued:

"I do think my parents, with the tools that they had and their own upbringings, really did the best that they could. And my mother, you know, she is a saint. She sacrificed every step of the way. She was the last to sit at the dinner table every single time."

Katy Perry gave birth to her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom on August 26, 2020. She is the second child to Perry's partner Orlando Bloom, who also shares a 13-year-old son with ex-wife Miranda Kerr.