Singer Chappell Roan has spoken openly about feeling overwhelmed by the fame that followed her stratospheric rise to pop stardom over the past year. And on Monday, she elaborated on those feelings, expressing frustration with entitled fans and saying people have been harassing her and stalking her family.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? Would you harass her in public?” she asked in a video on TikTok. “Would you go up to a random lady and say, ‘Can I get a photo with you?’ And she’s like, ‘No, what the f—,’ and then you get mad at this random lady? Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time?”
Roan said in a subsequent video that she didn’t care if such behavior from fans was par for the course for public figures:
I don’t want whatever the f— you think you’re supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity. I don’t give a f— if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo or for your time, or to — for a hug. That’s not normal. That’s weird. It’s weird how people think that you know a person just ‘cause you see them online or you listen to the art they make. … I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior.
@chappellroan Do not assume this is directed at someone or a specific encounter. This is just my side of the story and my feelings.
♬ original sound – chappell roan
The 26-year-old pop star, who has been making music since her teenage years, became a massive commercial phenomenon in the past year after she opened for Olivia Rodrigo’s world tour and released her single “Good Luck, Babe!” in April.
Roan has talked about her disdain for fans who feel entitled to her time and affection in the past. Her rejection of being on the receiving end of parasocial relationships — that is, a one-sided emotional bond someone creates with a person they don’t actually know — is not uncommon among celebrities, though Roan is more outspoken about it than most. The downsides to “stan culture” are also well-documented; artists have alluded to the lack of privacy and demand for access into every aspect of their lives, and some celebrities have been accused of sanctioning their fans’ bad behavior toward other public figures.
In a podcast interview last month, Roan said that fans have been tracking her movements and unearthing details about her family. She said she previously told herself she would consider quitting music if fans’ behavior crossed the line.
“We’re there,” she said, adding: “I’ve like pumped the brakes on honestly anything to make me more known.”
