Over the last couple of years, Chappell Roan has become one of the most prominent voices in pop music. Since she released her single “Good Luck, Babe!” and her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Roan has been gaining more and more fans who resonate with her catchy songs. However, she has recently been the star of some controversy between her and her fans.
Roan is a huge advocator for fans giving their favorite celebrities their personal space. She has expressed her wishes for fans to leave her alone in public, stating that she does not always want to take a picture or give an autograph when she goes out. This take has fans split on whether these boundaries are reasonable or taking it too far.
Most recently, Roan received online backlash when her bodyguard was accused of harassing a fan. Specifically, the 11 year old stepdaughter, Ada, of soccer player Jorginho.
Jorginho shared on his Instagram that he and his family happened to be staying at the same hotel as Roan in Sao Paulo, and his stepdaughter, being a huge fan, decided to walk past her table. Roan’s bodyguard then proceeded to tell Ada and her mom that it was wrong to “harass” other people, and he threatened to file a complaint with the hotel.
A day after Jorginho’s story, Chappell Roan made a video responding to the situation, in which she claimed the bodyguard was not her personal security, and that she was not aware of the situation as it happened.
“I didn’t even see a woman and a child. No one came up to me. No one bothered me. I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel,” stated Roan in the video.
Roan also said she was sad to hear the girl and her mom were made uncomfortable, and that they did not deserve that. Her statements were backed up by the security guard, who made his own post taking the blame for the encounter. He admitted he was there for someone else, not Roan, but made a judgement call when he thought her safety was compromised.
“I take full responsibility for the interactions on March 21st. I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan,” stated the security guard, Pascal Duvier, on his own Instagram.
While the bodyguard took all the blame for this situation, people still bash Roan online for her other encounters with fans. A lot of people feel that she does not deserve to be famous, feeling confused on why she chose such a public profession if she does not feel comfortable always being recognized.
However, a lot of people can see the good that comes from Roan’s boundaries. They feel that being a celebrity does not mean people are allowed to harass or demand things, and it is refreshing to finally see a celebrity stick up for themselves. Roan has even put photographers and paparazzi in their place after asserting herself at awards events. In one instance, a photographer at the MTV VMA’s red carpet yelled a rude comment at Roan, to which she returned the same comment and left him speechless.
Whether Roan deserves praise or backlash for her unique attitude towards fans and paparazzi is up for debate, but she is definitely making waves in the pop culture scene.