Sometimes, a joke is simply too good to be a joke. 

 Last month, American DJ and producer Diplo made headlines after appearing on the podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions. During the conversation, the host, Naeema Raza, mentioned Justin Trudeau — the former Prime Minister of Canada and now reportedly Katy Perry’s partner — calling him 'a hot prime minister.' As she began to add, 'I know so many people…', Diplo interrupted and finished her sentence with a grin: 'Who dated Katy Perry? Like me?'

Caught off guard, the host clarified that she had actually meant she knew many women who had dated Trudeau, and asked, 'Wait — you really dated Katy Perry?' Diplo, who indeed had a brief relationship with Perry in 2014, replied with the line that sent social media into a frenzy: 'I also dated Trudeau. Which is weird, because I’m not usually into politicians.'

Although the episode was recorded weeks earlier and Raza later confirmed that Diplo was joking, the clip resurfaced online in recent days and quickly went viral. 

Fans began playfully imagining a romantic connection between the American DJ and the Canadian politician. Diplo, amused by the attention, added fuel to the fire by posting a tongue-in-cheek “proof” — a photo of himself with Trudeau at an event, with Katy Perry visible in the background. He captioned it with her hit song The One That Got Away.

The post drew tens of thousands of likes and thousands of comments, ranging from laughing emojis to light-hearted support for the imaginary couple, as well as political jabs directed at Trudeau. 

While the two men appear to be nothing more than acquaintances, Diplo and Perry did have a brief fling years ago. In a 2017 interview with James Corden, Perry ranked Diplo third among her former partners — behind John Mayer and her now-ex-fiancé Orlando Bloom. Diplo, for his part, responded at the time with characteristic humor, tweeting, 'I don’t even remember having sex with her.'

The resurfaced joke has once again shown Diplo’s knack for stirring viral moments — blurring the line between self-mockery, celebrity gossip, and playful internet culture. 

Whether or not anyone took him seriously, the DJ’s light-hearted “confession” managed to entertain millions, proving once again that in the world of fame and social media, even the smallest joke can become an international headline.