Chappell Roan has admitted she’s still getting to grips with some of the downsides of her new-found global fame.
The US singer has been consistently releasing music for the past few years, but has seen her public profile blow up in 2024 thanks to the success of hits like Hot To Go!, Red Wine Supernova and Good Luck, Babe!, which previously peaked at number two in the UK.
However, in a candid TikTok posted on Monday, Chappell made it clear that there were certain parts of being in the spotlight she was no longer going to accept.
“I need you to answer questions. Just answer my questions for a second,” she told her followers.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? 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 fuck?’, 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? Would you stalk her family? Would you follow her around? Would you try to dissect her life and bully her online? This is a lady you don’t know. And she doesn’t know you at all.
“Would you assume that she’s a good person, assume she’s a bad person, would you assume everything you read about her online is true? I’m a random bitch, you’re a random bitch. Just think about that for a second.”
In a follow-up video, Chappell continued: “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous, whatever.
“I don’t care that it’s normal. I don’t care that this crazy type of behaviour comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen. That does not make it OK, that doesn’t make it normal. It doesn’t mean I want it. It doesn’t mean that I like it.
“I don’t want whatever the fuck you think you’re supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity. I don’t give a fuck if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time or for a hug. That’s not normal, it’s weird how people think that you know a person just ’cause you see them online and you listen to the art they make. That’s fucking weird.”
“I’m allowed to say no to creepy behaviour, OK?” she concluded.
The singer also captioned her post: “Do not assume this is directed at someone or a specific encounter. This is just my side of the story and my feelings.”
Last month, the Casual singer said she had “pumped the brakes” on certain aspects of her career, as the result of certain fans giving “stalker vibes”.
“People have started to be freaks – like, [they] follow me and know where my parents live, and where my sister works. All this weird shit,” she shared.
Chappell also opened up about the power of saying no during a conversation with Bowen Yang in Interview magazine published on Monday.
“I hope I look back at this time and still stand behind all the nos that I’ve said, because I say no to pretty much everything right now,” she said.
“I don’t want to fucking go back into the mental hospital because I don’t know how to handle my emotions. I hope I don’t look back and I’m like, ‘Damn, if I just would’ve sucked it up and pushed a little harder’. I don’t think I will, but I’m always scared of that.”
The VMA nominee has been candid about issues relating to her mental health in the past, disclosing during an interview with Vanity Fair that she had been diagnosed with bipolar years earlier.
“Bipolar disorder is one of the hardest to treat because you just don’t know what’s gonna make you feel better,” she told the magazine.
“I mean, it took me two years to find the right medications and holy cow, it was so hard because I just felt, I was like, ‘is it the bipolarity? Is it the meds not working? Is it my period?’. There were so many things that I was so confused.
“And finally I found a place that I feel good about my meds. I’m in therapy. I really try to like, take care of myself. But, oh my god, it’s so hard with this job because there’s no checking out. There’s no like clocking in and out.
“I worked at a doughnut shop for a long time and I loved it because I would just leave work and I would just go watch TV and it was great. But I feel like this is just really hard to take a step away from, especially on tour.”
Earlier this month, Chappell celebrated her first number one album here in the UK, and is currently in contention for her first chart-topping single with Good Luck, Babe!.
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.