David Foster and wife Katharine McPhee cut a stylish pair while attending the Fab Thirties event in Forte dei Marmi, Italy on Sunday.
The renowned Canadian record producer, 74 — who was recently slammed for calling Katharine, 40, ‘fat’ in a resurfaced video — cut a dapper figure in a white dress shirt and black pants.
Her carried a cream tuxedo jacket in his hand and wore a classy black bow tie to complete the look.
Meanwhile Katharine wowed in a black sequin dress, which she paired with strappy black sandal heels.
She completed the outfit with a black belt that cinched in her waist. Her brunette tresses were pulled into a chic ponytail.
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/87600777-0-image-a-1_1721599743317.jpg)
David Foster, 74, and wife Katharine McPhee, 40, cut a stylish pair while attending the Fab Thirties event in Forte dei Marmi, Italy on Sunday
At one point David was seen gallantly holding her by the arm as he helped her walk down the stairs.
The event was attended by several notable celebrities, including Kate Beckinsale and Shania Twain.
Katharine was seen mingling with Shania, 58, inside.
The Canadian superstar thrilled in a button-up floral dress.
David and Katharine’s outing comes amid the backlash from her fans after a video resurfaced on social media of him calling her ‘fat.’
The outrage-inducing clip, which was initially posted to TikTok in March 2023, was taken from a concert performance of the couple’s show together in which Katharine recounted the first time she met her future husband when she was appearing on the fifth season American Idol in 2006.
The singer and actress, who was the runner-up that season, said in a self-deprecating moment on stage in the concert clip that she was ‘a little chubby’ when David first met her.
But David went beyond that when he turned to look at a photo of his wife — who previously shared her skepticism about their 35-year age gap — from American Idol that was projected on the screen behind his piano.
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 3 Katharine wowed in a black sequin dress, which she paired with strappy black sandal heels](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/87600775-0-image-a-2_1721599746188.jpg)
Katharine wowed in a black sequin dress, which she paired with strappy black sandal heels
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 5 She was seen mingling with Shania Twain, 58, inside. The Canadian superstar thrilled in a button-up floral dress](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/87600789-13657285-image-a-16_1721602108811.jpg)
She was seen mingling with Shania Twain, 58, inside. The Canadian superstar thrilled in a button-up floral dress
‘Oh, yeah, you were fat,’ he said nonchalantly to laughter from the audience.
‘I was a little chubby, OK? Just young,’ Katharine shot back, but many of his wife’s fans didn’t think there was anything funny about David’s comment.
But a prosecutorial follow-up video critiquing David’s line in the original video got many more likes and generated significantly more conversation on TikTok, where the commenters appeared to be nearly unanimous in strongly disapproving of David.
‘This made my heart hurt,’ another person shared. ‘This beautiful girl was NEVER fat. You don’t call your wife fat. As a joke or serious.’
‘Omg I cannot believe he said that????’ added another stunned user.
Although a select few users suggested that David was only joking, that didn’t seem to matter to most.
‘Those comments are so hurtful. Hearing from anyone let along your partner. No one should comments on anyone’s body “joking” or not,’ wrote one person.
Multiple people wondered if David could say worse things in private if he was willing to allegedly insult his wife in front of an audience.
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 7 David and Katharine's outing comes amid the backlash from her fans after a video resurfaced on social media of him calling her 'fat'; The duo seen on July 19, 2024 in Italy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/87600793-13657285-image-a-15_1721602102361.jpg)
David and Katharine’s outing comes amid the backlash from her fans after a video resurfaced on social media of him calling her ‘fat’; The duo seen on July 19, 2024 in Italy
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 9 The outrage-inducing clip, which was initially posted to TikTok in March 2023, was taken from a concert performance of the couple's show together](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/86678847-13657285-Fans_were_up_in_arms_after_David_Foster_74_called_his_wife_Katha-a-17_1721602245923.jpg)
The outrage-inducing clip, which was initially posted to TikTok in March 2023, was taken from a concert performance of the couple’s show together
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 11 In the clip, she described first meeting David on American Idol, more than a decade before they began dating, when she said she was 'a little chubby', to which he replied, 'Oh, yeah, you were fat'; seen in 2005](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/86681387-13657285-In_the_clip_Katharine_described_first_meeting_David_on_American_-a-18_1721602264650.jpg)
In the clip, she described first meeting David on American Idol, more than a decade before they began dating, when she said she was ‘a little chubby’, to which he replied, ‘Oh, yeah, you were fat’; seen in 2005
‘If he can say that in front of a crowd, imagine the insensitivity [sic] comments in private. Yolanda’s comments make a bit of sense now,’ one person wrote, referring to the songwriter’s ex-wife Yolanda Hadid.
Another person added, ‘That was awful. If he can say that on stage what does he say at home.’
‘That was awful of him!’ agreed another user.
Multiple users mentioned Katharine’s previously stated battles with eating disorders as context for why they believed her husband’s comment was so hurtful.
In 2006, shortly after finishing her stint on American Idol, she revealed that she had struggled with bulimia in the past.
However, after she won a spot on the reality series, she decided to seek out treatment for the condition.
However, that wasn’t the end of her issues with eating disorders. While pregnant with her and David’s first child together — Rennie David, now three — Katharine struggled with new food issues.
She said on Dr. Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy Podcast that she worried that the intense hunger and cravings that she began to experience — a normal experience for many pregnant women — could be the same desire to binge eat that she felt during her most intense struggles with bulimia.
However, Katharine revealed that she began seeing the psychiatrist that she previously had seen during her American Idol days, and that they informed her that it was common for women who had issues with bulimia to relapse if they became pregnant.
![David Foster, 74, and Katharine McPhee, 40, attend The Fab Thirties event in Italy 13 Despite meeting on American Idol season five, they didn't start dating until 2017. They were married in 2019 and welcomed a son, three-year-old Rennie David, in 2021](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/21/23/86678883-13657285-Despite_meeting_on_American_Idol_season_five_they_didn_t_start_d-a-19_1721602267664.jpg)
Despite meeting on American Idol season five, they didn’t start dating until 2017. They were married in 2019 and welcomed a son, three-year-old Rennie David, in 2021
Although some viewers of the social media clip suggested David was joking, there didn’t appear to be an commenters considering that the line may have been planned out ahead of time.
It’s unclear if Katharine or David ever repeated the exchange about her weight in another show, but it’s not uncommon for acts to plan out or script apparent ‘off-the-cuff’ banter in order to create more natural-sounding interactions and to avoid awkward moments.
Despite having first met on American Idol, it wasn’t until 2017 that Katharine began dating.
The lovebirds wed in 2019, and they went on to welcome Rennie David in February of 2021.