Katy Perry's dad in anti-Jewish rant at church

Ms Perry, who recently announced her split from British husband Russell Brand, has previously commented that she is not close to her religious parents.

After they preached about her divorce in church, she wrote on Twitter: "I want to be clear that no one speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, 'close sources' or my family."

The singer may even have drawn inspiration from a Jewish woman in her career. One of her songs, "Who am I living for", includes the lyrics "So I pray for a favour like Esther…I need your strength to handle the pressure."

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the remarks were a reminder that "age-old stereotypes are alive and well".

He added: "Would these words have been made by any other pastor, we most likely would not have heard about it and his remarks would have remained within the confines of a congregation. But because this is the father of a pop celebrity, the antisemitic remarks he uttered are taking on a life of their own, both in the echo chamber of the Internet and in the real world.

"Katy Perry is blameless for her parents’ behavior, and it is unfortunate that her good name is now attached to her father’s words."