The rich and famous are no strangers to the price of stardom. Public figures do not have as many rights as private citizens to privacy, and fans take advantage of this on numerous occasions. Chappell Roan, whose newfound success is nothing short of explosive, is one musical artist coming out and finally talking about the harassment and disrespectful treatment from obsessive fans.
This conversation is new for the music scene, where celebrities do not often feel comfortable setting boundaries with their fans, but a new precedent seems to be set.
Supporters are criticizing the VMA-winning popstar and saying all Roan does is complain when she should be grateful for the platform fans are giving her. However, she is not the first and, unfortunately, will not be the last musician or celebrity to grapple with pervasive fan behavior.
Roan, in particular, went to the social media platform TikTok to vent her frustrations about recent fan behavior. The onslaught of new fame is weighing down on the young singer, and she spoke about how people are following her around, stalking her and her family, demanding photos and hugs after she told them no and going as far as kissing her without her consent.
“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,” Roan said in a TikTok video. “It’s weird how people think that you know a person because you see them online and you listen to the art they make. … I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior, okay?”
Roan made another post to her Instagram page, cementing her stance on this arising issue for herself and many others like her. She lamented how she is not on the clock when she is not performing and is a regular person like anyone else you see on the street. Her fame does not give people the right to invade her privacy or mean she has to take photos with fans. She opened up about feeling the most love she’s ever felt, but also the most concern for her safety.
Another artist who expressed a similar sentiment in a different, more direct fashion was Doja Cat in July 2023. She took to Threads when a fan asked if she loved her fans, and she said, “I don’t though, cuz I don’t even know y’all.” In a month, the singer lost over 180,000 followers on Instagram. She believes fans think they have ownership and entitlement to her because she is seen as a thing made for them, not a human being, according to an article by CNN.
Years ago, at the beginning of her career, country singer Dolly Parton encountered many fanatical fans, especially after her song “Jolene” was getting popular. She went home one day to find a baby in a box at her gate with a note that read, “My name is Jolene, my momma has left me here, and she wants you to have me.” She called human services and took care of the baby until they arrived to take the baby away, according to Buzzfeed.
Celebrities like actress Sandra Bullock and singer Taylor Swift have reported their own fan horror stories from early on in their careers. Bullock spoke about how a man broke into her house while she was there. She had to hide in her closet before the police arrived, and the incident gave her extreme PTSD. Swift said she had a stalker who sent her family terrifying letters claiming to be the “real son of God” and threatening them all, according to CECHO News.
Roan’s comments are reigniting the significance of parasocial relationships in a day and age where technology is readily available and widely accessible to the general public. Technology with platforms from millions of celebrities who typically share their lives online causes their fans to believe they know them as if they are their friend or someone in their circle.
Every day, people are expected not to treat people they see on the street in this harassing manner, but somehow, celebrities are exempt from this rule. People who “choose fame” should not be expected to give up their ability to live safely and comfortably simply because they are in the public eye.
