Rising singing sensation Chappell Roan lashed out at her fans over what she described as “creepy behavior” and sheer “harassment.”
In a TikTok rant, Chappell stated that she and her family are the victims of both online and offline bullying. According to the pop star, even if celebrities are subjected to this type of creepy behavior in their daily lives, this does not mean that such actions can be justified at any cost.
Chappell rose to fame right after the release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which went viral globally and helped her make an audience of over 41 million listeners on Spotify.
As she gathered endorsements from industry heavyweights like Lady Gaga and Adele, she also started attracting the attention of naysayers, many of whom directed personal attacks on the new iconic star.
Chappell stated that it looks weird when people believe that they know about an artist just because they have listened to some of their songs. She went on to say that saying no to a selfie or a hug does not make her selfish and that critics should stop thinking that way.
Other than Chappell, many other artists have also spoken about the importance of maintaining a fair distance from their fans in recent years. In 2022, Keke Palmer argued that “no means no” is applicable in everything, even if it is not related to s*x, and that her consent matters even if someone is filming her in a public space.
Justin Bieber also maintained that a constant demand for selfies has made him feel like a “zoo animal,” adding that he does not want to take pictures with his fans anymore.
Leading Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has previously said that the very concept of taking a selfie with celebrities lacks the human-to-human connection between the artist and the fans. Clarke, who is known as the Mother of Dragons in the fictional drama series, further argued that she had found herself in a situation where fans woke her up from sleep during a flight and even asked for pictures when she had a panic attack.
Psychologists believe that stars like Chappell are the victims of parasocial relationships, which is a “one-sided relationship” as fans think that the celebrities owe them something.
Meanwhile, fans praised Chappell for speaking about her situation, with one of them stating that public stars are always present under mounting pressure to behave perfectly with fans.
