Heavy/Getty/California DOJ Pop star Katy Perry, inset: photo of Camela Leierth-Segura posted by police
Songwriter Camela Leierth-Segura, who co-wrote pop star and “American Idol” judge Katy Perry‘s 2013 song “Walking On Air” with her, vanished from Beverly Hills, California, weeks ago and hasn’t been heard from since. Worried friends have begun an awareness campaign, posting on social media and alerting local media, to help find the 48-year-old and her cat, who disappeared with her.
One of Leierth-Segura’s close friends, Liz Montgomery, wrote on Instagram, “We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her. She means the world to us and time is of the essence.”
According to the California Department of Justice, Leierth-Segura was last in contact with someone on June 29, 2023 and is now considered a missing person. So far, Perry has not joined the efforts to help find the songwriter and model. Here’s what you need to know:
Friends & Neighbors Say Camela Leierth-Segura Was Struggling to Make Ends Meet
Leierth-Segura is originally from Sweden, where most of her family, including her sister, still resides. After her sister couldn’t reach her for weeks, she contacted LA-based friends to find out if they’d heard from her, according to USA Today.
Montgomery told the newspaper that Leierth-Segura’s 2010 silver Ford Fusion — with license plate number 6KZJ725 — was last seen leaving Beverly Hills on June 30 around 2:40 a.m., but it’s not known if she was the person behind the wheel.
Police described Leierth-Segura as a white woman with long blond hair and blue eyes who’s 5’10” tall, weighing roughly 125 pounds. Her 19-year-old black cat, Morris, is also missing.
Leierth-Segura’s Beverly Hills landlord told local news station ABC7 that she was recently evicted from her one-bedroom apartment. Friends and neighbors said she was struggling to pay rent and pointed to dead plants on her balcony and a “For Rent” sign outside. Neighbor Harrison Silverman told the station said he used to speak with her once a week, but hasn’t heard from her at all lately.
“She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble,” Montgomery recalled to the Los Angeles Times. “COVID definitely was not helpful for her because she’s a musician, model, actress, all that stuff. And there was no money coming in.”
Another friend, model Cecilia Foss, told the outlet that Leierth-Segura had “never ever, ever, ever disappeared before.”
“I know she’s been arguing with the landlord about the back rent, but she has a lot of friends that she could have called easily and crashed on their couch,” she said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2184. Tips can also be sent to findcamela@gmail.com.
Katy Perry Called Song She Wrote With Missing Songwriter One of Her Favorites
GettyKaty Perry performing in January 2013
Leierth-Segura’s friends have tagged Perry in their social media posts and outreach to the media. Though Perry has shared posts and Stories on Instagram over the last 24 hours, the pop star has not publicly commented or shared any information about the case with her fans.
As part of Perry’s 2013 “PRISM” album, she and Leierth-Segura collaborated on “Walking On Air,” which Billboard called “a fizzy, chattering synth-apalooza with a driving beat and stuttering melismas that would be at home on a Basement Jaxx album” and praised its “exuberant hook.”
The song, Billboard reported, was “sonically inspired” by fellow pop singer Robyn, who toured with Perry on part of her California Dreams tour. Perry got the idea for the song while watching roller skaters glide through Central Park during a trip to New York City.
Billbord said that the song was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, and was shared with industry insiders at a listening session of the new album. “Walking On Air” was the third song released from the album after Perry’s mega-hits “Roar” and “Dark Horse.”
According to Universal Music Publishing Group, when the 90s-flavored pop track entered the iTunes US charts at number one, Perry declared, “It’s my favorite song off the record.”