Katy Perry is opening up about one of the most difficult chapters of her personal life, more than a year after ending her nearly decade-long relationship with Orlando Bloom.
The 41-year-old pop star has offered a candid look at what was happening behind the scenes as she navigated the breakup while performing around the world on her Lifetimes Tour. Although fans saw Perry commanding arenas night after night, she says the reality away from the stage was far more emotional. “It was probably the hardest time,” Perry told PEOPLE while reflecting on the period following her split from Bloom.
© WWD via Getty ImagesThe timing made the breakup particularly challenging. Perry kicked off the Lifetimes Tour in April 2025, and representatives for Perry and Bloom publicly confirmed their separation that July.
While Perry was traveling for work, many of the people she normally relied on were back home. She recalled feeling isolated and crying while she was away, before saying the people she describes as her “angels” ultimately showed up for her during the difficult period.
Katy Perry Says 2025 Was a ‘Really Hard’ Year
Perry’s breakup was only one part of an unusually intense period in her life.
Her Lifetimes Tour arrived after her album faced a difficult critical reception. The massive tour itself included 91 performances across five continents, requiring Perry to balance a demanding schedule with motherhood and major changes in her personal life. “Look, last year was really hard,” Perry told PEOPLE. Still, she said she continued moving forward despite what was happening privately.
© WireImageThat determination appears to have changed how Perry views the tour now. Instead of remembering it solely as the backdrop to her breakup, the “Firework” singer has described the experience as an opportunity to reconnect with her purpose and recognize her own resilience. She also had daughter Daisy Dove, whom she shares with Bloom, alongside her for part of the journey.
For Perry, having Daisy see her mother working through a challenging moment carried its own significance. She told PEOPLE that her daughter was able to see her being strong and living in her purpose, while acknowledging that not every day was easy.
Why Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom Ended Their Relationship
Perry and Bloom’s love story stretched across nearly a decade. The two met at a Golden Globes afterparty in 2016 and began dating before temporarily splitting in 2017. They later reconciled and became engaged in February 2019.
In August 2020, they welcomed Daisy Dove. After years together, however, their romantic relationship eventually came to an end.
© WireImage for Vanity FairTheir representatives confirmed the split in July 2025, saying Perry and Bloom had been shifting their relationship toward co-parenting. The statement emphasized that their shared priority would remain raising Daisy with “love, stability, and mutual respect.”
Perry now appears able to look at the relationship through the lens of what she learned from it rather than simply how it ended. “I had to let it go so I could move forward,” she told PEOPLE. She also explained that she would not have remained in a relationship for nine years if there had not been meaningful lessons to take from the experience, describing relationships as teachers.
Orlando Bloom Has Also Spoken About Life After Katy Perry
Bloom has similarly emphasized the family he and Perry created rather than focusing publicly on the circumstances surrounding their breakup.
Following the split, the actor said he was grateful and highlighted their daughter, while expressing confidence that he and Perry would be OK moving forward. “We’re great. We’re going to be great. Nothing but love,” Bloom said during a September 2025 appearance on Today, according to E! News.
© The Grosby GroupPerry and Bloom made it clear from the beginning that Daisy would remain at the center of their relationship as co-parents.
Katy Perry Found New Love After Orlando Bloom Breakup
Perry’s life took another major turn shortly after the split when she met former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while her tour was passing through Montreal.
The pair were first romantically linked in July 2025 and later took their relationship public. By June 2026, they had made their red-carpet debut together at the Tribeca Festival premiere of Perry’s concert film, Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live From Paris.
© GC ImagesPerry now calls Trudeau the “love of my life” and has connected their relationship to something she had been actively hoping to find.
The singer revealed that she had previously created a list of 10 wishes for her life. The final item was simple. “No. 10 just says, ‘True Love,’” she told PEOPLE.
Perry also revealed that she had spoken with her therapist about wanting an epic, lasting love and feeling as though that part of her life had been the missing piece. She now views her relationship with Trudeau as something that arrived after she finally allowed herself to leave her previous chapter behind.
