I have a beef with Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. They keep talking about their relationship but then they don’t post new photos on their social or pose together anywhere so I have to keep reusing these same old tired photos from other posts. Work with us people! I still don’t know why they are talking so much about their relationship, or at least Orlando is. Katy’s latest admission at least had some context. While at a cocktail event for American Idol, Katy was noticeably not cocktailing. When asked why, she said she and Orlando were five weeks into a three-month pact of not drinking.
Katy Perry is a woman of her word!
The American Idol judge stopped by a curated cocktail event at New York City’s Mister Paradise on Monday alongside fellow judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest, but revealed that she would not be partaking for a very special reason.
“I’ve been sober for five weeks today… I’ve been doing a pact with my partner [fiancé Orlando Bloom] and I want to quit,” she said while jokingly pretending to cry.
After Bryan playfully asked if she was caving, she responded, “No, girl! I can’t cave. I made a promise. Three months.”
Originally, when I read the quote “… and I want to quit,” I thought Katy meant she wanted to quit drinking. But I see now that probably meant she wanted to quit the pact in that moment. She wanted this story out there so we get to discuss it. (That’s the disclaimer for everyone about to tell me I am making too much of this.) I realize someone was probably going to ask why Katy wasn’t drinking at a cocktail event, so she needed a reason. That in and of itself is unfortunate because we should be able to say ‘I don’t want a drink’ and have it not be an issue. But she owns a non-alcoholic beverage company, which the bar had on hand. She could have just said ‘representing, folks!’ and ordered a mocktail. It’s a great message for those in the public eye to be seen drinking mocktails and other non-alcoholic options while enjoying themselves. But Katy made a point of saying she’s not drinking because of this pact and that the pact had a time limit. Which simply invites questions. Like why only three months? Is it a cleanse thing or a we’re drinking too much thing? There’s of course always the pregnancy speculation with a woman not drinking, and the three month time limit plays into that. Orlando cut down on his drinking after it was implied that it led to relationship issues with Miranda Kerr. It’s possible he’s backslid or maybe he wants his fiancée to join him in cutting down.
Photo credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon and Instagram
Whenever I read that people have had to vow not to drink forever or just for a timeframe, I find myself asking, how much were you drinking, and what havoc was this drinking wrecking on your lives and the lives of your lived ones. Yikes!
I kind of get it – I don’t drink much, but I drink on social occasions. And I don’t need to be drunk to feel the aftermaths- the quality the day after is diminished, I’m not so young to not think about empty calories etc.
I think 3mo timeframe for this kind experiment is good – do they feel any different? better? they can list all pros and cons and go like “mocktails for parties but we’ll keep red wine for dinner” or no alcohol at all. Or be like “it was just an experiment, not our way of life”.
I think it is great that they want to try something new.Our lifestyles are constantly evolving.
I think it’s great that so many people are sober curious. I think you should be able to explore if sobriety can improve your life without anyone side eying you and wondering if you have a problem.
Some food for thought…. I am currently not drinking, and I resisted telling my family for the reasons you mentioned. It’s either you’re pregnant or have a “problem,” and I am/have neither.
I wasn’t having a drink on weekends at all because my spouse was working and I was with our 6yo son all weekend every weekend (and I’mnot really a weekday drinker). I realized about three months in that I had not had a cocktail in a long time, so I decided to see how long I could go. I made it through the holidays and now just order mocktails when I’m out with friends. There are so many really good mocktails! I had a dinner with my girlfriends the other night, and I usually get hit hard by just one drink. I was driving home and realized how nice it was not to have to worry if that one drink meant I would need to wait until I could drive.
I work in psychiatry and it has given me perspective on my patients who are sober. The messaging during the holidays is all about booze! It’s very triggering. Sometimes you feel like having a drink to carry that looks like a cocktail so people don’t ask questions.
Not everyone who stops drinking necessarily had a problem. I stuck with it because as I get older one drink has the potential to make me feel horrible. My spouse will have a beer or a glass of wine (I didn’t drag him with me on my social experiment lol), but I feel better without it.
I think the same way and am
especially concerned when it’s people like them, who have a small child. Like I’m relieved they made the decision to cut back but it makes me wonder how much it was impacting them.
Sometimes it’s simply personal choice. Sometimes it’s religious beliefs. Sometimes it’s having seen the impact alcohol has had on the lives of those you love. Sometimes it’s just a matter of “I don’t like the way it makes me feel.” And in all of those cases, it’s just not our business.
My mother never drinks. She just doesn’t like the way alcohol makes her feel. My brother has a magnificent wine collection and pulled out some spectacular bottles for our sister’s 50th birthday dinner. Mom drank sparkling water. That was her choice.
My eyebrow goes up not because I think cutting out alcohol for a time period means you necessarily have a problem, but more because of the wording of it as a pact and promise between spouses. I feel like sobriety should be something you decide for yourself so the way she made it sound a bit against her will seems like maybe someone does have a problem and the other is either codependently trying to fix it by this fun thing we can both do, or the problem drinker asked for accountability or a sober buddy after realizing a problem. Fully just stirring the pot for my own amusement here though and don’t actually care.
I Never ask people why they do not drink. It should be normalised IMO. In European culture drinking is still the norm socially. But it really should be a non-issue if someone does not drink alcohol. So many reasons for not drinking: religion, health, pregnancy, sport event coming up, medication…
During lent a lot of people abstain from some things.
I see this as just an extended version of “Dry January.” When people have been drinking socially or in general a lot for a while, it gets away from them, as often happens in December. So they choose to forego it for a month or three, just to clear their minds and bodies and assess.
It doesn’t seem weird to me. Honestly reading about all the fun “mocktails,” I feel inspired to try it myself. Once they started selling wine in grocery stores in Texas, it became so easy to pick up a bottle while shopping and drink wine with dinner frequently. I realize that’s when I started being a regular drinker. I’d probably feel better if I quit entirely, at least for a while
I love the idea of normalizing sobriety. Good for them for going 3 months, as I think that’s how long your brain needs to break the habit. Kombucha makes great mocktails, lately I have been adding bitters and other traditional mixers.
This is the kind of thing where I’d hate to be a celebrity.
She had to say something otherwise the next speculation everywhere would have been she’s pregnant.
As a woman of child bearing age I sympathise with her massively, and if I don’t drink it’s never going to be front page news the next day
Russell Brand was already sober when they were married in 2010. He’s been a recovered alcoholic for 21 years. I wonder if Katy re-married in part to have someone she could drink with. I wonder if she and Orlando can stay sober together and if not, can she stay in a marriage with one sober spouse this time.
Wasn’t the big problem in her marriage with Russell Brand, he was sober finally and she was younger, fairly new to big fame and into partying?
After a certain time, drinking becomes boring or you start to feel lousy after drinking.
I stopped due to starting on A/D meds. Liquor makes me more depressed.
Anyone who stops liquor, cigs, junk food binges is helping themselves. JMO.
I know someone that was in Santa Barbara on NYE this past year at the same party as them. My friend said Orlando was absolutely wasted and unable to walk well. She said he seemed like an alcoholic. So this headline was not surprising. He is a talented actor and I wish him well.