In a powerful Instagram post, American singer/songwriter Chappell Roan expressed concern about invasive fans' "predatory behavior" that made her feel "scared and tired."
Roan first emerged on the music scene in 2014 when she signed at 17 to Atlantic Records after being discovered on YouTube for her original song "Die Young."
It wasn't until her 2023 full-length debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, re-entered the Billboard 200 in June 2024 that she was launched to major music stardom, eventually earning high praise from fellow music artist Adele.
With her newfound fame, the 26-year-old "Red Wine Supernova" singer has been facing mounting pressure from entitled fans who made Roan feel obligated to interact with them, forcing her to call them out in a TikTok video.
On Saturday, Roan posted a lengthy message expressing that it's time to set some boundaries.
“For the past 10 years I’ve been going non-stop to build my project and it’s come to the point that I need to draw lines and set boundaries. I want to be an artist for a very very long time," she wrote.
Roan continued:
“I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you sh*t."
"I chose this career path because because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
She further explained that when she was on stage, performing, dressed in drag, at a work event, or doing press, she was technically "at work" and made it clear that outside of those circumstances constituted not being in "work mode."
"I am clocked out. I don't agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I do not know, do not trust, or who creep me out–just because they're expressing admiration," she said, and stressed:
“Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
Roan clarified her position had nothing to do with the "gratitude and love" she feels for the community of fans who continue to respect her boundaries, and for the support and love she feels from those who helped her reach the level of success she is experiencing now.
She continued:
“I am specifically talking about predatory behavior (disguised as ‘superfan’ behavior) that has become normalized because of the way women who are well-known have been treated in the past.”
“Please do not assume you know a lot about someone’s life, personality, and boundaries because you are familiar with them or their work online.”
Road added:
“If you’re still asking, ‘Well, if you didn’t want this to happen, then why did you choose a career where you knew you wouldn’t be comfortable with the outcome of success?’—understand this: I embrace the success of the project, the love I feel, and the gratitude I have."
"What I do not accept are creepy people, being touched, and being followed.”
She compared her situation to that of a woman who wears a short skirt and consequently gets harassed or catcalled and is told she shouldn't have worn the short skirt in the first place.
"It is not the woman's duty to suck it up and take it," she said. "It is the harasser's duty to be a decent person, leave her alone, and respect that she can wear whatever she wants and still deserve peace in this world."
"I want to love my life, be outside, giggle with my friends, go to the movie theater, feel safe, and do all the things every single person deserves to do."
"Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me," Roan pleaded.
"There is always more to the story. I am scared and tired. And please—don’t call me Kayleigh," she said, referring to her legal name. "I feel more love than I ever have in my life. I feel the most unsafe I have ever felt in my life."
She said in conclusion:
“There is a part of myself that I save just for my project and all of you. There is a part of myself that is just for me, and I don’t want that taken away from me."
"Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your understanding and support.”
Roan disabled the post's comments section and explained that she was "not looking for anyone’s response" and that it wasn't "a group conversation."
"I’m not afraid of the consequences for demanding respect. Just to let you know, every woman is feeling or has felt similar to what I’m experiencing. This isn’t a new situation."
"If you see me as a b*tch or ungrateful or my entire statement upsets you, baby that’s you… you gotta look inward and ask yourself 'wait why am I so upset by this? Why is a girl expressing her fears and boundaries so infuriating?'”
Supportive fans backed the artist.
In response to Roan's earlier video statement about setting boundaries, one TikToker defended the singer and shared a TikTok message for entitled fans calling Roan a diva and ungrateful for her fame since starting her music career.
In her previous series of TikTok videos, Roan asked fans to indulge her in answering several hypotheticals.
"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 f**k?'” 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?"
You can see the video here.
She concluded one of the videos by saying, "I’m a random b*tch. You’re a random b*tch. Just think about that for a second, OK?”
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit