Katy Perry has not “tanked” on “American Idol,” despite a report cruelly likening her to a “train wreck.” Gossip Cop can debunk this mean-spirited story. Not only are some of the claims just wrong, but critics have actually been raving about her presence on the revived music competition.

In the wake of the rebooted “American Idol” premiering on Sunday, RadarOnline is claiming in a Monday story that Perry is “already struggling” as one of the new judges. In suspiciously unnatural language that uses the singer’s full name and the show’s full title, a so-called “insider” is quoted as saying, “Katy Perry has been worse than anyone ever could have imagined on ‘American Idol.’” Contrary to the talkativeness the pop star showed in the premiere, this alleged tipster maintains she “literally has no clue what to say to any of the contestants.”

“During auditions, Katy has appeared to be completely at a loss as to what she should say,” claims the site’s supposed source, who deems her “feedback and interactions” to be “flat, and at times, very, very awkward.” This purported snitch goes on to opine, “This is not a very good indication of the show’s reboot success… It’s a complete train wreck.”

Actually, it’s this article that’s a “train wreck.” While the blog’s contentions give the impression that auditions are ongoing, that portion of the series actually wrapped filming months ago. The show’s “Hollywood Week” call-back round has already been shot, too, as documented on Twitter back in January. It makes no sense, then, for this “insider” to be discussing what’s going on “during auditions” as if they’re currently happening. They may be airing on television right now, but the try-outs took place long ago.

And far from her noticeably “struggling,” The Hollywood Reporter deemed Perry a “judging standout” in its review, calling her “tremendous” and attributing the “most memorable and endearing moments” to her. Meanwhile, Variety has a piece headlined, “Who Are We Kidding? It’s All About Katy Perry.” It’s noted, “The pop star earns her paycheck at the judges’ table… Perry is outstanding and everything you want in a judge.” Those are two of the most respected trade publications in the entertainment industry.

As for the assertion that Perry’s (clearly acclaimed) performance on the show isn’t a “good indication” of the program “success,” it is obviously impossible to predict the series’ long-term future. That said, TV ratings show the revival is off to a solid start. A production source even tells Gossip Cop, “Things could not be going any better with ‘American Idol’ for all involved. The numbers last night were sensational.”

In fact, we hear the debut episode out-performed what ABC promised to advertisers. It seems RadarOnline just wanted to write a Perry-“American Idol” hit piece regardless of accuracy and, well, tanked.