It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for Chappell Roan, with several of her songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and big crowds flocking to her festival performances across the country. As a breakout artist, Roan has been unapologetically difficult the “norms” that always include fame. Throughout the 2024 VMAs, she continued to make her voice heard.
Here’s how the “Femininomenon” singer stood up for herself amidst the commotion of last night’s award show, where she won Best Latest Artist.
What Did Roan Say on the Red Carpet on the VMAs?
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz, was captured on camera telling off a photographer who reportedly shouted, “shut the f**k up” at or across the 26-year-old pop star.
A clip from the VMAs red carpet pre-show on the UBS Arena, later shared widely by fans on X, shows the “My Kink Is Karma” singer responding, “You shut the f**k up!” while pointing within the direction of the heckler.
— photo gala (@24metgala_) September 11, 2024
After stepping back to have her outfit adjusted, she added, “Don’t. Not me, b**ch!” Roan’s response prompted cheers and chatter on the carpet, with one attendee heard saying, “You tell ’em, girl.”
In a later red-carpet interview with ET, Roan explained, “It’s just quite overwhelming and quite scary. I feel for somebody who gets a variety of anxiety around people yelling at you, the carpet is horrifying. And I yelled back. I yelled baaaack — you don’t get to yell at me like that.”
Chappell Roan reacts to being yelled at by photographers on the #VMAs black carpet: “The carpet is horrifying, and I yelled back!” pic.twitter.com/SqUbGdBhnm
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 11, 2024
What Else Has Roan Said About Her Latest Fame?
In a conversation with Bowen Yang for Interview Magazine published on August 19, she emphasized that, despite her radio and streaming success, she has “never given a f**k concerning the charts or being on the radio.” She added, “I’m similar to, ‘F**k you guys for not seeing what actually matters.’ A chart is so fleeting. Everyone leaves the charts. I’m similar to, ‘That is giving valedictorian.’”
On the identical day, Roan took to TikTok to debate the pressures that include fame in a video that has since gone viral. “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a traditional thing to do to people who find themselves famous or slightly famous, whatever. I don’t care that it’s normal,” she began within the clip.
@chappellroan Don’t assume that is directed at someone or a particular encounter. That is just my side of the story and my feelings.
“I don’t care that this crazy variety of behavior comes together with the job, the profession field I’ve chosen,” Roan continued. “That doesn’t make it OK. That doesn’t make it normal. That doesn’t mean I would like it. That doesn’t mean that I prefer it.”
“It’s weird how people think that you already know an individual simply because you see them online and hearken to the art they make. That’s f**king weird. I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior,” she added.
Moreover, in an Instagram post on August 24, Roan wrote, “For the past 10 years, I’ve been going nonstop to construct my project, and it’s come to the purpose that I want to attract lines and set boundaries.”
“I would like to be an artist for a really, very very long time. I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions, and I just must lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you s***. I selected this profession path because I really like music and art and honoring my inner child. I don’t accept harassment of any kind because I selected this path, nor do I deserve it.”
