For the uninitiated, David Foster is a well-regarded Canadian record producer and film composer. He met Katharine McPhee way back in 2006 when McPhee was competing in Season 5 of American Idol. Foster was a guest mentor to McPhee, and McPhee would go on to almost win her season but ultimately came in second place. The two would become romantic years later in 2017.
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Recently, a controversial clip of Foster and McPhee resurfaced. McPhee refers to herself as a "chubby and cheerful contestant on American Idol." Foster, on the piano, chimes in. "You were fat," he says plainly.
@jordycray Replying to @Kiki SMH. #katherinemcphee #davidfoster #americanidol #popculture #popculturenews #celebs #hollywood #deepdive #smash #fyp #foryou #2000s
Those three words released the internet storm. "This made my heart hurt. This beautiful girl was NEVER fat. You don't call your wife fat. As a joke or serious," one TikTok user stated.
"I am chubby right now and my husband would never let me talk down about myself in front of him - especially a pic as a child," another user confirms.
In 2021, McPhee opened up about her eating disorder during pregnancy with PEOPLE. "It just suddenly came up in a way that hadn't been present in a long time," McPhee said. However, she "felt really stable in my life in the last four or five years, and my weight has been more consistent."
"But feeling like there was a relapse after getting pregnant was really shocking and upsetting and concerning for me. Because I was suddenly so obsessed with food, starting from this first trimester. And I had such a distortion of the way that I looked."
A Video Resurfaces Of David Foster Insulting His Wife And Former 'American Idol' Runner-Up, Katharine McPhee
"This shouldn't ever be encouraged or tolerated. David is a powerful public figure. He's just allowing the continuance for men to pick apart other women and other women to pick on themselves," another TikTok user added.
Indeed, the internet has exploded from the clip. If you want to get in on the conversation, here's a picture of McPhee from her American Idol days.
Video of David Foster saying wife Katharine McPhee was ?fat? when she was on ?American Idol? resurfaces https://t.co/GlFOaJyAcL pic.twitter.com/wFzBDWnX2w
— Page Six (@PageSix) June 27, 2024
The comment itself is one layer to the indignation of McPhee and Foster as a pair. The "age gap" and "he was her mentor, it's weird" comments are out in full force, too!
