Hollywood Week was particularly brutal this year on American Idol. But, it’s judge Katy Perry’s treatment of one Top 24 contestant that made viewers angry.

Odell Bunton Jr. ended up in tears on Idol after initially believing he wasn’t progressing on the show. Perry then revealed the good news that Bunton landed in the Top 24. He was overwhelmed by the emotion of the bait and switch. Viewers believed it was a mean thing for Perry to do in the name of artificial tension

Taking to social media, one person wrote, “OMG!! My heart dropped for a second when Katy did that!!! D—n you Katy Perry!! I’m sooooooo glad that Odell Bunton Jr. is in the Top 24!!!” Another commented, “Oh my, they really played with Odell‘s heart right there. ‘This is as far as we can take you… It’s up to America from here on.’- Katy Perry, why do you need to play with my boy like that. Great performance.”

Yet another wrote, “Screw @katyperry for making Odell think he didn’t make it. It’s not funny. It’s not cute. It’s cruel. Let her know that Ryan!”

‘American Idol’ Viewers Connected With Contestant

Bunton has moved viewers thanks to a combo of his talent on “Bring it on Home to Me” by Sam Cooke as well as his story. Bunton, living in Texas, works as a security guard to try to support his family. He explained 12 people live in together in his household. Bunton had to put his singing career on hold to provide for his family.

“It has not been easy trying to provide for five. It’s been a struggle,” he said. “Man, it’s tough. We got a total of 12 people living in a hotel room. Just two beds and a little kitchen area.”

So given his backstory, fans didn’t understand why Perry or the producers picked Bunton to tease along. They felt it was intentionally cruel, given everything he expressed about his situation. “You know, Odell, it’s a lot of pressure, having a platinum ticket. I don’t even know what the pressure is having 12 people under one roof,” Perry said during Hollywood Week.

Initially, Perry implied that he wasn’t going through in the competition. Emotion began to overwhelm Bunton before Perry added, “It’s gonna be up to America from here on out because you’re in our Top 24.” Cue, a full on emotional breakdown as the singer celebrated. We’ll see how far he goes in the competition.