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Katy Perry Visits Auschwitz

Pop star shares emotional message from the former concentration camp

by
Stephanie Butnick
February 26, 2015
Entrance gates to the former Auschwitz concentration camp. (JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Entrance gates to the former Auschwitz concentration camp. (JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Pop star Katy Perry, in Europe for her ‘Prismatic World Tour,’ visited Auschwitz yesterday after her concert in Krakow. She posted an Instagram photo from the former concentration camp, with an emotional message for her 15 million followers.

A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Feb 25, 2015 at 2:01pm PST

The singer, who earlier this month performed at the Super Bowl alongside dancing sharks, is usually known for her upbeat, bubblegum persona. But it’s not the first time she’s shown an emotional depth not typical of most megastars. When 16-year-old Olivia Wise, a Canadian teen with brain cancer, recorded a cover of Perry’s hit “Roar” that went viral, Perry responded with a video message of her own for Wise. (Wise died the following month.)

Stephanie Butnick is chief strategy officer of Tablet Magazine, co-founder of Tablet Studios, and a host of the Unorthodox podcast.