This summer, rising “HOT TO GO!” star Chappell Roan began her journey of reinventing the public’s expectations of how celebrities should act. In doing so, she unveiled her true bratty nature.
A year after her debut album was released, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Roan made a series of videos trashing fans for asking to take photos with her in a failed attempt to set boundaries with them. In this erratic mini-series of unrealistic demands, she looked run down in a messy bun, oversized lopsided t-shirt and unstable camera angle when trying to start a serious conversation with her fans. She shared grievances about being in the limelight while actively engaging in the attention-seeking behavior that pre-album promotions entail. Roan cannot have the money and the fame that comes with her career without the downsides that come along with it. If she cannot handle this, is she truly destined for fame?
On Aug. 1, Roan lashed out at an assistant, and stormed away during the middle of her Lollapalooza set after he was unable to complete a wardrobe change on her. Roan’s tantrum was seen by hundreds of thousands of people attending the festival. This immature meltdown set a bad standard for how Lollapalooza acts should conduct themselves, as attendees pay upwards of $155 for admission.
At this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, Roan confronted a photographer on the black carpet. This photographer said aloud, to no person in particular, that he was not going to keep quiet and that Roan’s appearance “missed the spot.” In response, she cursed and screamed at the photographer before briefly pointing her finger at him and calling him an expletive. She continued her strut down the carpet with her signature drag makeup and a grimace on her face.
Six weeks later at the Los Angeles premiere of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour, Roan confronted another photographer who yelled at her at a 2023 Grammy’s party. Roan claimed that the photographer was “so rude to [her]” and said that she “[deserved] an apology.” She should have asked one of her staff members to privately address the matter instead of publicly humiliating him in front of dozens of press personnel and red carpet-goers behind her.
Roan’s behavior over the past few months set a troubling precedent for how celebrities should act. By lashing out publicly, she exposes her disconnect between the expectation of fame and the behavior of the famous. If Roan hopes to be a long-lasting star, she must reconsider her approach to fame, as celebrities have a responsibility to lead with respect, even under the spotlight’s harsh glare.
