Conspiracy theorists claim Katy Perry’s hair proves space flight was faked

Katy Perry’s space flight faces backlash online as conspiracy theorists allege CGI trickery and claim her hair proves it was staged.

Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space flight sparked a storm of bizarre conspiracy theories, as online users accuse the mission of being staged and digitally faked.

Conspiracy theorists are claiming Katy Perry’s hair proves her space flight was faked
Social media erupted with accusations that Katy Perry’s hair didn’t behave as expected in microgravity during her Blue Origin space flight. Critics claimed her sleek hairstyle defied the effects typically seen in zero gravity.

They pointed to astronaut Suni Williams as a comparison, noting how her hair floated freely aboard the International Space Station. The contrast fueled speculation that Perry’s flight may have been staged or altered with visual effects.

One user wrote: “Suni’s hair floated up. Katy’s didn’t. This is so fake.” Others questioned why none of the female crew tied their hair before liftoff.
One person said: So what’s the real explanation for the discrepancy in the way their hair reacted… or didn’t react?
A second wrote: It all depends on how much hair spray was used before the flight. Simple.
While a third commented: Lots of hairspray to stop it from moving.
Another added: Buzz Aldrin even said the moon landing was fake. This is all Hollyweird.
Someone else said: It’s not fake. But neither is making a cup of tea such ia the significance.

Critics also allege Gayle King’s “disappearing hand” is proof of video manipulation. Image Credits: Blue Origin

Critics ignored that Perry’s hair was professionally styled, while astronauts like Williams spent months in orbit with no access to haircare or daily showers.

Gayle King’s “Disappearing Hand” becomes the latest focus of CGI accusations
Another popular theory targeted CBS host Gayle King, alleging her hand “disappeared” in video footage of the crew floating in weightlessness. A TikTok video claimed this glitch was proof of CGI. The creator urged viewers to slow down the clip and “see for themselves.”

Supporters praised the clip as eye-opening, claiming it exposed a media cover-up. But fact-checkers quickly debunked the video with easily accessible footage. Original Blue Origin footage showed no such distortion. The “vanishing hand” is likely a compression error or a result of re-editing shared content with overlaid logos.

Viral mannequin hand image misleads viewers with footage from a 2017 test flight
Conspiracy theories grew even wilder when users pointed to a mannequin’s hand seen in the capsule window, calling it “proof” that the space flight was fake. Social media users failed to recognize the image came from a 2017 test flight of New Shepard Crew Capsule 2.0 featuring a dummy named Mannequin Skywalker.

The outdated photo resurfaced during Perry’s NS-31 mission, misleading viewers into believing it was from her flight. Critics mistook archived content for live footage.

The facts about Katy Perry’s flight: What really happened on the NS-31 mission
Katy Perry joined an all-female crew aboard Blue Origin’s NS-31 space mission on Monday, April 15, 2025, from Launch Site One in West Texas.

Alongside Perry were Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, astronaut Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe.

The mission crossed the Kármán line, reaching 62 miles above Earth. The group experienced several minutes of weightlessness before safely returning to Blue Origin’s base. Despite the conspiracies, the flight was real, publicly broadcast, and mirrored the flight path used in previous New Shepard launches.

Why conspiracy theories surrounding the Katy Perry space flight don’t hold

Despite online claims, Perry’s NS-31 mission was real, broadcast live, and followed proven flight paths.

While wild claims have gained attention online, none stand up to scrutiny. Most stem from visual misunderstandings, compression glitches, or misused footage from past launches.

Professionally styled hair, high-definition cameras, and brief exposure to zero gravity create different visual outcomes than months-long missions aboard the ISS. In the case of Gayle King’s “missing hand,” the unedited video shows no vanishing. Layers of social media edits often distort original footage, leading to false claims.

The mannequin photo is easily dated to 2017 — long before NS-31 — debunking the idea that a dummy was onboard during this week’s flight. Conspiracy theorists have tried to discredit the mission by sharing debunked footage and misleading comparisons.

They’ve circulated outdated clips from previous test flights, taking them out of context. However, the facts speak for themselves. Katy Perry and her fellow passengers successfully completed a real suborbital journey, sparking inspiration for a new generation.