Lionel Richie, American Idol judge, is not a big fan of Justin Bieber’s talent, but Katy Perry has come to the singer’s rescue after the former gave his daughter’s ex a nasty diss.

Maybe there’s still some hard feelings left over for dad Lionel Richie, 68, after his 19-year-old daughter Sofia’s failed romance with Justin, 24. That might explain why the music legend and American Idol judge went in hard on Justin’s talent. In an interview, Lionel dissed the Biebs’ vocal range. While discussing the contestants’ skills, he said, “You know, you look at it and you think, ‘OK, if you can hit every note perfectly, why isn’t everybody a superstar?’ The answer is because it’s called a unique quality. And [Justin] Bieber, he doesn’t hit a high note.”

Fellow judge Katy Perry, 33, jumped to the singer’s defence. “He hits a high note,” she fired back while Lionel stood his ground, then ribbed Katy about being a Belieber, telling her “You defend Bieber, you love some Bieber!” The “Roar” singer refused to back down, responding,“I mean, he’s extremely talented.”