Chappell Roan writes to “superfans” about predatory behaviour: “Women don’t owe you shit”
Chappell Roan has called out the “predatory behaviour” of so-called “superfans” in a social media post, stressing that “women don’t owe you shit”.
The singer posted a lengthy comment on Instagram on Friday night (August 23), turning off the comments section as she was “not looking for anyone’s response.”
“This isn’t a group conversation,” she stressed. The post set out that after a decade of building her career, “it’s come to the point that I need to draw lines and set boundaries.”
“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 shit,” she wrote. “I chose this career path 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.”
Roan made the distinction between her work and her private life, adding: “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. Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
She went on to clarify that the post had “nothing to do” with her love and gratitude to her fans who do respect her boundaries and have helped her career.
“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.”
“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,” she continued. “Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me. There is always more to the story. I am scared and tired. And please – don’t call me Kayleigh. I feel more love than I ever have in my life. I feel the most unsafe I have ever felt in my life.”
Earlier this week, Roan also criticised the “weird” and “creepy” behaviour of some fans in a series of TikTok posts, lambasting the “entitled” attitude of some.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window?,” she said. “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 fuck?’ And then you get mad at this random lady?”
@chappellroan
“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, whatever. I don’t care that it’s normal. I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen. That does not make it okay.”
Last month, she revealed that she had made a promise to herself that she would quit music if “weird shit” started to affect her and her family.
Roan expressed wanting to “[pump] the brakes” on it after fans gave off “stalker vibes”. Speaking on an episode of the Comment Section podcast with Drew Afualo, Roan said: “People have started to be freaks — like, [they] follow me and know where my parents live, and where my sister works. All this weird shit.”
The NME cover star released her debut studio album, ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’, last September to critical acclaim. In a four-star review, NME described it as “a display of Roan’s bold and brazen pen, where she places searing revelations alongside some deliciously cheeky choruses”.
Since then, she achieved her first UK Number One album almost a year after its release – something Elton John congratulated her on recently. Roan shared the single ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ this April. The song went to Number Four in the UK, and was covered by Sabrina Carpenter in the BBC Live Lounge in June.
She most recently has announced more US dates for ‘The Midwest Princess Tour’.
Adele also praised the musician last week, calling her “absolutely amazing” during her show in Munich on August 14. “Chappell Roan is her name, yes?” Adele said. “I heard a song a little while ago at my birthday, and I loved it, and it was one of my friend’s playlists. And then, I went down a rabbit hole on Monday. All day long.”
She continued: “She is spectacular, and it turns out, she’s not just got one song. She’s got, like, seven fucking brilliant songs. I think she’s absolutely amazing. I’m very excited for her, but my friend also said she’s a bit scared. So, do what you gotta do, baby girl, but you’re phenomenal. Anyway, that’s all I’ve done this week is discover Chappell Roan.”
Roan also joined Olivia Rodrigo on stage in Los Angeles on Tuesday (August 20) for a rendition of ‘Hot To Go!’.
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Max Pilley
NME
