Why the joke landed with fans
For anyone who missed the backstory, Perry and Groban briefly dated in 2009. The relationship did not last, but the two have continued to speak warmly about each other in the years since.
That context matters because Perry once said Groban inspired “The One That Got Away.” During a 2017 livestream, the One of the Boys artist described him as the person behind the song, turning a bit of pop lore into confirmed history.
Her new TikTok leaned directly into that old revelation. It was not a confession of heartbreak so much as a wink at fans who remember the reference, and a reminder that celebrities, too, sometimes enjoy making their own Wikipedia footnotes more chaotic.
Perry has also moved on in her personal life. Following her breakup with Orlando Bloom, she has been dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
How Josh Groban responded to the song revelation
Groban, for his part, did not see Perry’s 2017 comment coming. During a 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, the Tony nominee said the news surprised him.
“I was not expecting that,” Groban said. “That was a double take and a spit of my coffee. It’s very sweet of her to say that.”
He also joked that some of the song’s details did not exactly line up with his life.
“I’m like, ‘I’ve never owned a Mustang, I don’t have a tattoo,’” he said. “Are you sure that’s about me?”
Even so, Groban said he was “very flattered” by Perry’s comment. He added, “We’ve been very good friends to this day, she’s the best.”
Why Katy Perry and Josh Groban stayed friends
Groban has previously explained that the relationship simply worked better as a friendship. Speaking about why the romance did not last, the 45-year-old said privacy was part of the equation.
“We were both very private,” he said, “and we realized we were better as friends.”
That makes Perry’s latest post feel less like unresolved drama and more like two decades of entertainment-world overlap being folded into one joke. Groban and McQueen have their engagement, Perry has her self-referential TikTok, and “The One That Got Away” has once again been pulled into service.
