Katy Perry may not have been able to help put Hillary Clinton over the top in the general election, but Clinton did not forget the pop star’s support.
On Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton made just her second public appearance since her devastating loss to Donald Trump, presenting the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award to Perry at the annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball.
“On a personal level, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be here to help celebrate a global megastar, a social-media queen with the most Twitter followers in the world—although she’s getting some competition—and someone whose powerful voice and creative lyrics remind us when you get knocked down to get back up,” Clinton said in a surprise address from the podium at Cipriani on Wall Street.
“I have seen Katy’s commitment to the causes she believes in firsthand,” the former presidential candidate continued. “I’ve gotten to spend time with her and I know how deeply she cares about making our world a better place. She is serious about understanding the complex problems we face and pulling people together to solve them. We need champions like Katy now more than ever: her passion, her energy and, yes, her voice, louder than a lion.”
“Every single child deserves the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential,” Clinton said. “And for 70 years, UNICEF has protected children’s rights, helped provide food, safety, medical care, education, and created opportunities for tens of millions of boys and girls around the world.”
Perry was apparently brought to tears by the surprise introduction, asking, “Does anyone have a tissue?” She told the audience, “Hillary Clinton has lit a voice inside of me, and that light will never go out. It will continue to get brighter and brighter.” The singer thanked Clinton on behalf of the “millions of people who appreciate you, your incredible work, and your heart.”
At another benefit for the Children’s Defense Fund a week after the election, Clinton admitted, “There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again.” Since then, she has been spotted by neighbors in Chappaqua, New York, walking in the woods near her house with husband Bill Clinton.
