Katy Perry had to make changes in her life to win back John Mayer

Katy Perry has revealed she overhauled her life for boyfriend John Mayer after realising that her behavior was driving him away.

The pop star gushed about her man at the premiere of The Smurfs sequel in Los Angeles on Sunday (27Jul13) and left no one in any doubt she and John Mayer are an item, and now she's telling Elle magazine that she fought to save the romance after the singer/songwriter started pulling away from her.

She tells the publication, "That was a big hello for me. I realized I could lose the person I loved and I had to deal with some things, issues I think a lot of women have.

"You can be strong in one aspect of your life but submissive in another. In relationships, it was hard for me to speak up and set boundaries. I think a lot of that was to do with the fear of loss."

Katy Perry began dating John Mayer last year (12) following her marriage split from funnyman Russell Brand, and she admits her boyfriend can be "challenging" - just like her ex-husband and former boyfriend, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy.

The Part of Me hitmaker adds, "The men I have gone for are challenging, yes, but they're also wildly intelligent and poetic."