Barack Obama "Favorite" Katy Perry Sings at the White House—and Brings Her Republican Mom!

Big-time Obama fan had previously said that she wouldn't let her conservative parents attend the 2012 presidential inauguration when she performed

By Natalie Finn Aug 01, 2014 2:01 AMTags
American Girl, Katy PerryAmerican Girl/Getty Images

Katy Perry apparently came around when it came to introducing her mom to one of her favorite guys.

The "This Is How We Do" artist performed at the White House on Thursday at a dinner celebration honoring the 46th anniversary of the Special Olympics and its founder, Eunice Shriver, and Perry's mom, Mary, was in attendance as well—less than two years after the pop star wouldn't let her conservative parents attend Obama's 2012 inauguration to watch her sing.

But it sounds as though everyone was perfectly simpatico tonight.

"We have just one of my favorite people performing tonight—Katy Perry," Obama introduced the night's musical entertainment. "We are so grateful to her."  

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

"I love Katy Perry," he added. "She is just a wonderful person. I've just met her mom and now I know why she is such a wonderful person, but I just want everybody to know she is on tour right now and so for her to take time out to do this is really special, and so we really want to say thank you to her for doing this."

Stevie Wonder was also among the big names in attendance, as were Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker.

"Who's playing it cooler? Just hanging with Abe, NO BIG DEAL. @specialolympics@whitehouse #playunified," Decker Instagrammed from the gala.

And surely the stop in Washington, D.C., was no sacrifice for Perry, who before performing at POTUS' second inauguration also sang at a private fundraiser in L.A. leading up to the November 2012 election.

"My parents are Republicans, and I'm not," the daughter of two pastors told Marie Claire last year. "They didn't vote for Obama, but when I was asked to sing at the inauguration, they were like, 'We can come.' And I was like, 'No, you can't. I love you so much, but that—on principle.' They understood, but I was like, 'How dare you?' in a way."