If you don’t know who Chappell Roan is, you’ve probably been checked out this past year and a half. 

Chappell Roan is a rising artist who gained a lot of popularity in early 2024 for her songs “Good Luck, Babe!” and “HOT TO GO”. She recently just won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Although she is a newer artist, Roan has a lot of big opinions that have made many headlines. Some of these opinions I agree with and some I definitely do not. 

Having boundaries is key in the music industry, BUT there is a certain way to go about it. Roan has clearly not yet realized this. 

Chappell Roan has been making music for a while now, but she just blew up over the last few months. So it’s not like she is new to the music business, but she is really only new to fame. 

Now I am sure that becoming so famous so quickly has to be challenging for her, especially with the pressure of everything and new attention from the media. But some of her controversies include being openly confrontational to the paparazzi at inappropriate times and being “rude” to her fans.

We all know that paparazzi photographers are so unbearably invasive in the lives of celebrities. And even we, the general public, can agree that they are like pesky flies annoying everyone. 

So when Roan famously fired back at a photographer on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards, a lot of people had mixed reactions. In this situation, she responded correctly, especially because she admitted in a BCC exclusive interview that she has “been responding that way to disrespect [her] whole life.” This is understandable, because she was being mistreated and responded how she saw fit. 

But on a different occasion, at the premiere of the Netflix special Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour, Roan recognized a photographer who had been previously rude to her at a Grammy Party. In a confrontation captured on video, she approached the photographer and said, “You were so disrespectful to me at the Grammys. You yelled at me at the Grammy Party.” She then went on to say, “I deserve an apology for that,” and she had this whole exchange while she was on the red carpet, all while she was supposed to be promoting her friend’s new movie. 

In contrast to what happened at the VMAs, this moment was so inappropriate, and it made Roan seem like an entitled child. I am not saying that she didn’t deserve an apology from that person (as she 100% did), but there is a time and place for everything. Instead of waiting until she left the red carpet, and then talking to the photographer in private, she made this moment about herself and not Olivia Rodrigo. 

But the biggest thing that makes me feel so weird about Roan is her wishy-washy attitude towards her fame and her fans. It must feel so amazing to be finally recognized for your art, but this recognition can bring a lot of pressure. 

Chappell Roan has openly said that she wasn’t prepared for the almost addictive feeling of fan adoration, and she recognizes how it is scary to think of losing this affection. But I really don’t think she cares about her fans. She is a very straightforward person, who says exactly what’s on her mind. Not everyone will appreciate this aspect of her public persona, and it seems like she is quite aware of this fact. However, Roan has had some very public posts and conversations on how her fans give her “stalker vibes” and how it makes her feel “unsafe” when they come up to her. 

Almost all celebrities have had their experiences with creepy stalkers, and of course, this behavior is not okay. Roan mentioned in an interview with Drew Afualo that she would rather not be famous anymore, especially when people start involving her family and endangering them. 

It is very scary for people to know where you live, to know where you and your family members reside, and to know where you are at all times. This is just not acceptable in any situation, and Roan is right to draw a boundary here. 

But Roan has publicly said that if a fan asks for a photo with her, they should not be surprised if she says no, and I don’t understand this at all. In a TikTok video, she makes an analogy by comparing herself to a “random woman on the street”, and how you wouldn’t get mad at this person if she didn’t want to take a photo with you. Roan asked, “Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time?”  

This analogy just doesn’t make any sense. Chappell Roan is not a random lady or someone people don’t recognize, so I don’t understand why she would say this. 

It is a pretty normal thing to go up to a celebrity and ask for a photo because they are famous. Sure, if they say no, you should be respectful and understanding. 

Now I do understand that yelling out of a car window or getting aggravated is frustrating and dehumanizing, and some people need to learn etiquette. But in all honesty, it sounds like Roan has no idea if she wants to be famous but not.

I recognize that being famous isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It can be very difficult and hard to navigate. This struggle must be magnified for someone who has risen to fame so quickly. 

Look, I love Chappell Roan for her music and how many people of different identities are able to find comfort in her persona. But she has a very confusing attitude about being a star, and I think she needs to figure out exactly why she got into the music industry in the first place.