Katy Perry’s fans were left fuming after her A&R manager, Chris Anokute, revealed that he was the one who pushed for her controversial reunion with Dr. Luke.

Perry’s, 40, collaboration with music professional Dr. Luke on her flop comeback album, 143, garnered a considerable amount of controversy. 

However, in a recent Manager’s Playbook interview, Anokute revealed it was his ‘desire’ and ‘recommendation’ for Katy to reunite with the producer, 51.

Dr. Luke – who previously collaborated with Perry on hit singles such as 2008’s I Kissed a Girl, 2010’s California Gurls and 2013’s Roar – settled a defamation lawsuit with singer Kesha, 37, in 2023, after she claimed in a 2014 lawsuit that he had Sєxually and physically abused her.

Speaking about the album, Anokute said, ‘We came out the gate a little shaky, I think there was some backlash for her reuniting with Dr. Luke, which was my desire and my recommendation for her to go back in the studio with Luke. Because Luke is a dear friend.’

‘And, you know, all the stuff he was accused of, is actually not true. So I just thought like it was a good time to reunite them after 10 years of not working together.’

Katy Perry’s, 40, fans were left fuming after her A&R manager, Chris Anokute, revealed he was the one who pushed for her controversial reunion with Dr. Luke; seen with Anokute in 2009

Perry’s collaboration with Dr. Luke, 51, on her flop comeback album, 143, garnered a considerable amount of controversy. Dr. Luke was locked in a decade-long legal battle with Kesha, 37, who he sued in 2014 when she accused him of physical, Sєxual, and emotional abuse, which he denied; he and Perry seen in 2014

‘And every single he’s ever done for her was number one. And the press just didn’t react favorably, and they basically tried to ᴀssᴀssinate him and her.’ 

Fans were not impressed with Anokute’s statements, taking to social media to question why he and Perry thought it was a good idea to do the collaboration. 

One fan wrote: ‘Can’t say i’m shocked. i just don’t know how they thought it would go over well, with people clearly calling out other stars for their work with him. like – you had to know this would happen. katy doesn’t have the stan presence that she used to have to fend it off. to be quite honest i don’t think anybody does.’

Read More Katy Perry breaks her silence over working with Dr. Luke on new album 143 after Kesha lawsuit

‘This late down the road i really doubt it changes anything for her…’ another one added. 

‘Now why would he say this and put himself right under fire,’ someone else questioned.

Many agreed that in the end, regardless of who originated the idea, it was Katy who made the final decision. 

‘She still decided to work with him anyway,’ one wrote.

‘I still don’t understand how she chose to work with him in 2024? Like how did she think she was gonna get away with it?’ another added. 

‘Lame damage control…Katy should could have easily said “no way” to this horrible idea.’

‘Regardless, in the end it was Katy who decided to take the route she did.’

In a recent Manager’s Playbook interview, Anokute revealed it was his ‘desire’ and ‘recommendation’ for Katy to reunite with Dr. Luke

‘You know, all the stuff he was accused of, is actually not true. So I just thought like it was a good time to reunite them after 10 years of not working together,’ he stated

‘this late down the road i really doubt it changes anything for her…’ one fan wrote

‘Can’t say i’m shocked. i just don’t know how they thought it would go over well, with people clearly calling out other stars for their work with him. like – you had to know this would happen’

Many agreed that in the end, regardless of who originated the idea, it was Katy who made the final decision

‘I still don’t understand how she chose to work with him in 2024? Like how did she think she was gonna get away with it?’ another added

‘Lame damage control…Katy should could have easily said “no way” to this horrible idea’

‘She could have said she didn’t want to work with him but she did so this is just too little too late’

‘Yep, it sounds like someone just taking the fall for her stupid decisions’

‘Now why would he say this and put himself right under fire,’ someone else questioned

‘Yep, it sounds like someone just taking the fall for her stupid decisions. She decided to go back to him and that decision and the atrocious album itself completely blew up in her face. I don’t deny that he played a part in her and Dr. Puke linking back up but at the end of the day she still had the final say.’

‘She could have said she didn’t want to work with him but she did so this is just too little too late. The music was also really bad. On what planet would this have been a good idea knowing what we know?’

Last year Anokute was slammed after he praised Dr. Luke in an Instagram post.

A screengrab from Anokute featured a picture of Dr. Luke, whose full name is Lukasz Gottwald, after the songstress had a stellar evening at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, centered around a well-received set.

‘Big respect to @thedoctorrluke for the unprecedented work he’s done with @katyperry over the years,’ Anokute captioned the post. ‘Tonight’s performance was a celebration of his work with her throughout the years.’

Anokute said that Dr. Luke ‘is a GREAT man, and an honest man and my dear friend.’

He said the producer ‘deserves all the acclaim for developing the music behind one of the biggest pop stars in recorded history.’

Anokute’s social media post generated considerable controversy amid the past Sєxual ᴀssault allegations made against the producer by Kesha.

Last year Anokute was slammed after he praised Dr. Luke in an Instagram post

In September 2024 Katy addressed the controversy surrounding her working with the producer, insisting that Luke is simply someone who helps her ‘facilitate’ her music

Perry and the producer previously collaborated on hit singles such as 2008’s I Kissed a Girl, 2010’s California Gurls and 2013’s Roar; seen in 2010

The hitmaker’s seventh studio release, 143, completely failed to reach the level of success as hoped; she is seen performing in 2024 

‘This is so disgusting and disappointing,’ one user said. ‘Katy’s team is also supporting [Dr. Luke], oh Lord. Mute them please.’

Said another, ‘Katy Perry’s manager saying Dr Luke “deserves all the acclaim for developing the music behind” her is so insane.’

Last September Katy addressed the controversy surrounding her working with the producer.

The I Kissed A Girl hitmaker – who has four-year-old daughter Daisy with fiancé Orlando Bloom – insisted that her lyrics all come from her own personal experiences and do not reflect the views of the producer.

Breaking her silence, Katy told the Call Her Daddy podcast: ‘I understand that it started a lot of conversations.’

‘And he was one of many collaborators that I collaborated with.’

The Wide Awake singer insisted Luke is simply someone who helps her ‘facilitate’ her music.

She went on: ‘But the reality is it comes from me.’

‘The truth is I wrote these songs from my experience of my whole life going through this metamorphosis, and he was one of the people to help facilitate all that—one of the writers, one of the producers.’

Perry’s seventh studio release completely failed to reach the level of success hoped, and instead became the lowest scoring album on Metacritic since 2011 when it dropped in September. 

Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, tweeted ‘lol’ in the wake of news Perry and Dr. Luke would be collaborating.

Kesha and Dr. Luke announced they had settled their long-running legal battle in June of 2023; she is seen in 2024

The fallout from the allegations and long-running legal battle with Kesha led artist Doja Cat in December 2021 to declare that she would not collaborate with Dr.Luke moving forward.

‘I don’t think I need to work with him again,’ Doja Cat told Rolling Stone. I don’t think I need to work with him in the future. I know that.’

Kesha and Dr. Luke announced they had settled their long-running legal battle in June of 2023.

Kesha said in a statement at the conclusion of the proceedings, ‘Only God knows what happened that night’ while Dr. Luke said he was ‘absolutely certain that nothing happened’ and that he ‘never drugged or ᴀssaulted her.’