Chappell Roan divides with furious rant against her own fans
Rising star Chappell Roan has furiously slammed fans who approach her asking for photos – but not everyone is on her side.
Rising US pop singer Chappell Roan has posted an emotional video on social media, slamming fans who bother her in the street and ask for photos.
The past few months have seen Roan’s career absolutely skyrocket, as her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and latest single Good Luck, Babe both climb the charts worldwide.
But it appears all the attention is getting to the 26-year-old, who had been releasing music to little success for around six years before her career blew up in recent months.
“I need you to answer questions. Just answer my questions for a second,” Roan announced in the first of two TikToks posted to her account.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window?,” she asked.
“Would you harass her in public? 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**k?’ And then you get mad?”
“Would you be offended if she says no to your time, because she has her own time? Would you stalk her family and follow her around? Would you dissect her life and bully her online? “This is a lady you don’t know – and she doesn’t know you at all. I'm a random b**ch, and you’re a random b**ch. Just think about that for a second, OK?,” she said.
In a second video posted to TikTok, Roan labelled fans who approached her asking for a photo or a hug “creepy.”
“I don’t care that abuse, harassment, stalking is a normal thing to do to famous people. That does not make it OK. Doesn’t mean I want it, doesn’t mean I like it. I don’t want whatever the f**k you think you’re supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity,” she said.
“I don’t give a f**k if you think it’s selfish of me to say no to a photo or a hug – that’s not normal. It’s weird. It’s f**king weird. I’m allowed to say no to creepy behaviour, OK?”
While Roan switched off the comments on her TikTok videos, they’ve since been reposted on X, where they’ve left many fans divided.
“She just wants people to respect her boundaries that’s it,” offered one fan. “Protect this national treasure,” another said.
“Just got her first hit and is already saying no to taking pictures with fans … she must think she’s BEYONCE,” another person commented.
“I have no sympathy for someone putting themselves out there with the help of fan support yet acts hostile when someone asks her for a photo,” read another comment.
Roan’s debut album was released to little impact in September last year, and it took the release of current single Good Luck Babe in April to spark widespread attention in her music. Now, multiple songs from the album are rising up the charts: In the US this week, she has an incredible seven songs in the Billboard Hot 100, all of them rising week-on-week.
But there have been signs Roan’s struggling with this new-found fame. Back in June, she was shown on video breaking down on stage, admitting she was feeling overwhelmed about the sudden explosion of interest in her career.
“I just want to be honest with the crowd,” she began, her voice shaking.
“I just feel a little off today, because I think my career is going really fast and it’s really hard to keep up. I’m just being honest, that I’m having a hard time today.”
As the audience cheered in support, Roan explained that “I’m not trying to give you a lesser show, it’s just that … there’s a lot. Thank you for understanding. This is all I’ve ever wanted … it just hits me sometimes.”
Here in Australia, Roan’s single Good Luck, Babe this week reaches a new peak of number four on the charts, with album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess at number five.