She’s one of the hottest stars on the planet, and Katy Perry has never been afraid to express her sexuality – whether in a plunging red carpet number, squirting cream out of her bikini top or sharing the details of her sex life on the Call Her Daddy podcast. 

So it comes as little surprise that just days after the Dark Horse singer’s split from her fiancé and partner of nine years, Orlando Bloom, was officially confirmed earlier this month following months of intense speculation, a source tells Closer that another very famous ‘womanising’ heartthrob already has his eye on soothing Katy’s heartbreak – her ex-boyfriend, John Mayer.

And while the source says he’s playing the long game for now, his reputation as a smooth-talking lothario who has dated some of the biggest names in Hollywood – including Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian – means he’s not likely to wait too long before attempting to ramp up their blossoming friendship. 

The insider says, ‘John and Katy are on very good terms these days, they even hung out back in November when they were both at Sabrina Carpenter’s show in L.A., so John had no qualms about reaching out to her as soon as he heard the news about her and Orlando. 

‘He’s very smooth, so right now he’s playing the supportive friend card, but his end goal is to get her back in bed. He’s always said she was one of the hottest women he’s dated and openly lusts after her, so if she’s down to hook up, or even date again, he’d be thrilled.’ 

Some might say this potential romance has been written in the stars, with John, 47, first meeting Katy, 40, back in 2009 when they exchanged flirty messages before meeting for drinks at a Jay-Z concert.

However, in a strange twist of fate, their first date came just one night before she met Russell Brand – the former comedian she would then go on to marry before divorcing just months later. 

Following their split, Katy then fell back into the arms of John after months of exchanging love letters. The pair’s sizzling chemistry was abundantly evident, but teamed with a volatility which saw them have an ‘on-off’ relationship from 2012 to 2015. 

Katy said of their 2013 musical collaboration on single Who You Love, ‘Relationships are kind of like riding a bull. You hang on for dear life and sometimes you get a little buck here and there but you get back on.’ 

Now the source adds, ‘Katy broke up with John because she couldn’t handle how hot and cold he was. He would get really close to her and then pull away. He said he wanted to settle down but he wasn’t ready for it, and she got tired of trying to help him heal. 

‘She was his longest relationship – it was very hard for him to accept when it was over. He wrote so many songs about it and even to this day he still talks about it like it was a huge mistake.’ 

Even in 2017 – a year after Katy began dating Orlando – John admitted his single Still Feel Like Your Man, which contains the lyric ‘I still keep your shampoo in my shower’, was about Katy. 

Katy then, of course, went on to fall in love with actor Orlando, 48, when they bumped into each other at an In-N-Out burger restaurant after the Golden Globes in 2016. The couple went official at the Cannes Film Festival three months later, were engaged in 2019 and welcomed their daughter Daisy Dove in 2020. 

The couple’s representatives have insisted that their split is ‘not contentious’ and both Orlando and Katy were spotted holidaying on the Amalfi Coast aboard the yacht of newlyweds and their long-term pals, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, last weekend during Katy’s break ahead of the US and Canada leg of her Lifetimes Tour.

Meanwhile, John has been linked to Mad Men actress Kiernan Shipka, 25, since 2022, with the pair being spotted on several outings together. But with neither party confirming their rumoured romance, the source tells us John won’t be held back in pursuing Katy, who he was spotted chatting to when they both attended a Sabrina Carpenter concert in November. 

The insider says, ‘He does have something going on with Kiernan but he’s very cagey about it and won’t even admit they’re more than friends, so it’s not like that will hold him back. 

‘John does what he wants, and right now, what he wants is another shot with Katy. Everyone in his circle who knows her and their history is predicting she’ll go for it.’ 

Just two days before their official breakup announcement, Katy closed the Australian leg of her tour in tears as she thanked fans for their support – making it clear that the sadness of the end of her relationship with Orlando is still very much on her mind. 

But while she is yet to publicly address their split, Orlando took to social media to post some less-than-cryptic insights from psychologist Carl Jung and Buddha that talked about experiencing ’loneliness’ when unable to ‘express things that truly matter to us’. 

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor has also been spotted jetting around Europe – attending Jeff and Lauren’s wedding in Venice before travelling to Rome and enjoying a yacht party attended by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. 

He was later spotted in a taxi appearing to reach his arm around Katy’s former stylist.  

And now the insider says Orlando’s bachelor behaviour has left Katy feeling ‘hurt’ and ’embarrassed’. 

They say, ‘The way Orlando has behaved has really hurt her ego, she’s feeling so hurt and embarrassed right now by the way he’s taking this split – acting like he’s a single man out on the town, while she has to stay on the road and work her butt off to bring home the bacon. It’s infuriating and pretty demoralising too.’ 

Orlando’s actions, the source says, could also have given Katy the nod to go ahead and enjoy a little fun herself. 

‘Having a little romance with John, even if it’s short-lived, could be a huge help,’ the insider says.

‘She needs a reminder that she’s still desirable, and John has always made her feel that way. Even if he was emotionally unavailable when they were together, the good times were very good. And, he knows the real Katy – she doesn’t have to put on an act with him, it’s kind of a no-brainer for her to at least give it a shot.

‘Even if it doesn’t turn out to be a long-term thing, the chemistry is still very strong between them and a hot and heavy fling, it might be exactly what Katy needs right now.’