Since opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour back in February, Chappell Roan has quickly risen in the charts with her breakthrough album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” including hit singles “HOT TO GO!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” However, Roan has taken to social media and interviews to express the challenges she has been facing due to her sudden rise to fame.
On the "The Comment Section" podcast with host Drew Afualo, Roan discussed her frustration regarding fans crossing boundaries when seeing her in public and even exposing her personal information.
“They follow me and know where my parents live and where my sister works,” Roan said.
Roan explained she has put a halt to all things music because of the overwhelming harassment.
“I’ve pumped the brakes on, honestly, anything to make me more known,” Roan said. “It’s kind of like a forest fire right now.”
Her statement sent fans, upset over the possibility of losing Roan's music due to other people being disrespectful, into an uproar. Shortly after, Roan uploaded a video on TikTok to further express her frustration and the importance of personal boundaries.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window?” Roan said in the firstof two videos regarding the issue.
The videos have collectively gained over 35 million views. Both have sparked a conversation on what boundaries celebrities can set with their fans, and what aspects may just be “part of the job.”
When it comes to Roan, she will be tolerating none of it.
“I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous,” Roan said in the second TikTok.
Unfortunately for Roan, some fans and paparazzi do not share her sentiments. Following Roan’s videos, she appeared at the Video Music Awards where the red carpet turned into a confrontation when a photographer harassed her. Roan fought back and said, “Don’t. Not me, b----.”
Her response went viral, sparking many memes and reigniting the conversation of how society, in this case, paparazzi, treats celebrities as products rather than people. Roan’s reaction to the photographer’s harassment intensifies her commitment to setting personal boundaries even in a setting where paparazzi harassment is “normalized.”
Despite her promises to "pump the brakes," Roan revealed in a recent interview with Rolling Stone she has about six songs of varied genres she has created with her producer, Dan Nigro, for an upcoming album. Despite the announcement, she has remained secretive about whether these songs will be released. It is safe to assume Roan will continue to sit on her future catalog until she feels more comfortable in her newfound limelight.
Roan’s open discussion of celebrity boundaries in the digital era has ignited a new discussion of the line between celebrities' private and public lives. Parasocial relationships have become normalized with social media, giving audiences access to information about celebrities' personal lives beyond what is appropriate.
Roan is tired of her fans constantly crossing what she believes are her boundaries. As her career progresses and her fame grows, fans are curious about how she will maintain her career and find comfort in her private life.
