It’s been a whirlwind year for Chappell Roan, with several of her songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and massive crowds flocking to her festival performances across the country. As a breakout artist, Roan has been unapologetically challenging the “norms” that often come with fame. During 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 New Artist.
What Did Roan Say on the Red Carpet at 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 around the 26-year-old pop star.
A clip from the VMAs red carpet pre-show at 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 in 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 reaction 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 think for someone who gets a lot 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 New 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 about the charts or being on the radio.” She added, “I’m just like, ‘F**k you guys for not seeing what actually matters.’ A chart is so fleeting. Everyone leaves the charts. I’m just like, ‘This is giving valedictorian.'”
On the same day, Roan took to TikTok to discuss the pressures that come with fame in a video that has since gone viral. “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,” she began in the clip.
@chappellroan Do not assume this is directed at someone or a specific encounter. This is just my side of the story and my feelings.
“I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen,” Roan continued. “That does not make it OK. That doesn’t make it normal. That doesn’t mean I want it. That doesn’t mean that I like it.”
“It’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and listen to the art they make. That’s f**king weird. I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior,” she added.
Additionally, in an Instagram post on August 24, Roan wrote, “For the past 10 years, I’ve been going nonstop 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. 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.”