Chappell Roan Reveals Why She ‘Might Quit’ Fame
In an interview with The Face on Monday, Sept. 16, Chappell Roan hinted that she “might quit” music if the pressure of fame becomes too much. She shared a particularly unsettling experience with two male fans who harassed her at the airport.
“I get out of the car, it’s 5:30 in the morning, and there’s two guys waiting with a bunch of posters and s— for me to sign,” Roan told the outlet. “I know they’re not fans. I said no. I was like, ‘I don’t sign anything at the airport, I’m sorry.’”
But it didn’t end there. Roan continued, “[One of them] follows me to the TSA line, starts yelling at me and everyone just turns and looks. He’s like, ‘You should really humble yourself. Do you know where you are right now? Don’t forget where you came from.'”
Roan said, “I told myself, if this ever gets dangerous, I might quit. It’s dangerous now, and I’m still going. But that part is not what I signed up for.” She went on to call fame “abusive.”
In a separate Rolling Stone interview, Roan also opened up about predatory behavior she’s faced, finding solidarity in her fellow artist Sabrina Carpenter. “We’re both going through something so f—ing hard,” she said. “[Carpenter] just feels like everything is flying, and she’s just barely hanging on.” Roan added, “It was just good to know someone else feels that way.”
In August, Roan publicly addressed the predatory behavior from some fans, sharing a heartfelt post on social media and asking for respect.
“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 on Instagram. “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 s—. 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.”
She further clarified that when she’s on stage, in drag, at work events, or doing press, she’s “at work.” Outside of that, though, she’s “clocked out” and not available for public interaction.
“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,” Roan said. “Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
