Signs Katy Perry And Orlando Bloom's Relationship May Not Last
Katy Perry may be one of today's biggest, most successful pop stars, but her life is far from perfect. Following a difficult childhood that stifled her true personality and made her question her self-worth, she has continued to struggle with personal relationships. "I work so hard sometimes to prove, 'Am I enough?' and it comes from a lot of, like, childhood stuff," the singer told "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2022.
As she admitted, that doubt has manifested itself as "not being attracted to the right kind of people sometimes." One such case was Russell Brand, with whom she had a tumultuous marriage that ended in a hurtful divorce. Perry eventually found love with Orlando Bloom in 2016 and the couple got engaged in 2019, then welcomed daughter Daisy Dove Bloom in August 2020.
And yet, not all is as perfect as it seems. As of August 2023, the couple had yet to tie the knot and Perry's ever-changing excuses have sparked plenty of breakup rumors. What's more, both Perry and Bloom have spoken candidly about the day-to-day issues they face in their relationship, including the struggle to balance their busy work schedules with their love life. It's a major hurdle that actually led to a temporary breakup back in 2017 and doesn't seem to have gotten any easier since the arrival of baby Daisy. Here are all of the signs that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's union sadly may not last.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have called it quits before
Just weeks after meeting at the January 2016 Golden Globes afterparty and bonding over In-N-Out burger, Orlando Bloom was introducing Katy Perry to family and friends. That May, they went Instagram official and appeared absolutely smitten when they suddenly called it quits in February 2017.
Rumors of a split began circulating when the pair failed to arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscars party together and reportedly spent only a few minutes together at the bash. "They got together for a photo, but that was about it," an insider told People. Soon after, their reps issued a joint statement to People, clarifying that it wasn't a breakup per se. "We can confirm that Orlando and Katy are taking respectful, loving space at this time," they said.
However, Bloom's and Perry's later comments appeared to show that they really did put a stop to their relationship. In March 2017, Perry tweeted, "U can still b friends & love ur former partners!" Meanwhile, the actor told Elle UK that April, "It's better to set an example for kids and show that [breakups] don't have to be about hate." Indeed, they remained friendly, and a year later, they were rekindling their romance. In 2020, Perry told People the breakup was actually necessary so they could grow as individuals. "... it's not my half and your half that makes a whole. It's my wholeness and your wholeness that makes this whole thing happen," she mused.
They keep finding reasons to postpone the wedding
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom got engaged on Valentine's Day 2019, and yet, midway through 2023, they still aren't married. Although there's no set timeline for any engagement, the singer has raised red flags by repeatedly offering reasons (or excuses) as to why it's never the right time for their nuptials. The first traces of trepidation appeared in June 2019 when she was asked about wedding planning on the "KISS Breakfast with Tom & Daisy" radio show. "One step at a time," she demurred, saying she was in no rush.
Since then, Perry has claimed various reasons for their lack of matrimony. First, she told People in 2020 that their original plans were foiled by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I tried to do it this year and it poo poo-ed on me," she told the mag. "I went through the whole freakin' process!" She was singing a similar tune in 2022, telling "The Kyle and Jackie O Show," "We're still trying for it to work out, but every couple months it's like, 'New variant! New variant! New variant!'"
That same year, she told "The Drew Barrymore Show" there was yet another reason for the delay. "The location is challenging," she said. As for why it couldn't be a simple courthouse wedding or a small ceremony, she had an answer for that, too. "I'm all about big, fun, exotic, great celebrations," she said, but added, "Hopefully soon."
Orlando Bloom admitted their union is 'really challenging'
Following the couple's reunion in 2018, a source told People that the main reason behind Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's 2017 breakup was a professional clash. "They were just busy with their careers and it wasn't working," the insider explained. Indeed, leading up to their split, Perry was jetting off between performances in Los Angeles and England while Bloom was pursuing his passion for humanitarianism on a UNICEF mission to Niger.
The couple may have vowed to find a better balance between personal and professional, but they haven't exactly slowed down on the career front. Even after welcoming baby Daisy Dove Bloom in August 2020, both the actor and singer have continued working full-time, pursuing their separate goals. As Bloom told Flaunt, their schedules keep them busy — and apart.
Case in point: While Perry was filming "American Idol" and focused on her Las Vegas residency, he was off in Europe shooting "Carnival Row," as well as visiting Ukraine with UNICEF. "Sometimes things are really, really, really challenging. I won't lie," he shared. "We definitely battle with our emotions and creativity." Bloom also told the mag that having such different occupations doesn't make things any easier. "We're in two very different pools," he mused. "Her pool is not a pool that I necessarily understand, and I think my pool is not a pool that she necessarily understands."
Katy Perry admitted they're balancing between O.K. and K.O.
Orlando Bloom hasn't been the only one to speak candidly about the hardships of his union with Katy Perry. As the singer herself told People in 2020, "Yes, we have problems." Explaining that every relationship has its ups and downs, she mused, "It's a never-ending evolution, so it's not peachy-keen jelly bean all the time."
While she didn't go into detail about what exactly has challenged them the most, she did admit that their personal struggles inspired the song "Champagne Problems." Explaining the meaning behind the title, she offered a glimpse into how challenging things had gotten for her and Bloom, saying, "Now, we just joke, like, 'Yeah, we still have things to work out — but champagne problems!' We've gotten through a lot of hell."
Perry shared a similar sentiment in April 2023 when she took to Instagram to tell fans that her personal life is far from perfect. "Orlando and I's initials are O.K.," she wrote. "We continuously put in the work to make sure they aren't K.O." However, she also praised Bloom, adding, "Find yourself a partner that will go down to the mat with you and get back up every time."
A source had previously told Radar in 2022 that following the easing of pandemic restrictions, the couple found it hard to "balance work and family" life as they got back to their busy schedules and now also have a young daughter at home.
They're really relying on couples therapy
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom aren't afraid to seek help to work through their issues. As she told Chelsea Handler's "Dear Chelsea" podcast in 2022, "Orlando and I do couples therapy and we love it because it just keeps us in tune." But while that's admirable and a positive sign, the "Roar" singer also outlined a long list of issues they may never fully overcome. For one, there's their fame. "The resentment can get really strong when you're both working hard," she confessed. "When you wanna come back to being normal in a domesticated world where you have a child and stuff like that, you have to really learn how to be kind of different."
Then there are their personalities. Noting Bloom has "happy, posi vibes," she's "more heady" and while that means they balance each other out, it's also caused them to butt heads. So much so that she blamed their breakup on it.
As Perry told Handler, Bloom took part in the Hoffman Process (a week-long personal growth retreat) while they were dating and it changed everything. "He came back after going and wasn't leaning into all of my bulls***, and so it was boring," she recalled. "I was like, 'We're breaking up.'" It wasn't until she attended the program herself a year later that they were able to get back on track. "It profoundly changed my life," she enthused.
Katy Perry has been hurt in the past
Katy Perry's love life hasn't always been smooth sailing. When she married Russell Brand in 2010, she soon encountered a number of hurtful situations that led to their split just 14 months later. Their biggest issue proved to be Perry's blossoming career. As she later told Vogue in 2013 (via The Cut), "He didn't like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour, so that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting." Similarly, she told Marie Claire (via E!) that Brand was really pushing for kids, even though she wasn't ready. "I think it was a way of control," she reasoned. "If I have a kid, then I would have to sacrifice — I'd have to be at home more."
When she eventually found love again with Orlando Bloom, they encountered similar issues and when they broke up in 2017, she was again left hurting. As she told "Q with Tom Power" in 2020, she even contemplated suicide. "Gratitude is probably the thing that saved my life," she shared. "If I didn't find that, I would have wallowed in my own sadness and probably just jumped." And while she and Bloom have reconciled since then, Perry told "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2022 that she's still not fully healed. "I've always had, like, an 'Am I enough?' thing," she admitted. "I've always had a challenging time with love and relationships."
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How alcohol impacts Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's relationship
Jealousy and insecurity played a big role in Katy Perry and Russell Brand's demise, but so did their differing priorities. As a source told Mirror, "Russell left his party lifestyle behind a long time ago because it nearly killed him." When he got married, he reportedly wanted to start a family and spend much of his time at home, but Perry, whose career was just taking off, was on a different page. "When Katy had rare time off from her touring, all she wanted to do was go out partying in Hollywood," the insider claimed.
It was yet another deja vu she would experience with Orlando Bloom who, in 2023, decided to get sober to better focus on his acting. Speaking with People that March, Perry said she hadn't had a drink in five weeks because "I've been doing a pact with my partner." Pretending to cry, she quipped, "I want to quit."
While it was a joke, there may have been some truth to it, too. Given her experience with Brand, perhaps she didn't love the idea of being pushed to do something by her partner, even if she later told People, "I wanted that opportunity to be supportive." And while she later appeared to praise the pact, saying, "It was a great opportunity to just let my body bounce back a little bit," she admitted she wasn't sticking to it in the long run. "On the weekend I'll indulge a little bit," she told the mag.