Chappell Roan doesn't play around with the boundaries he sets for fans (and now for press photographers, too).
The “Hot to Go!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” singer, one of the most feminine women in pop music today, made her MTV Video Music Awards debut on Wednesday. On the red carpet outside the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, Roan turned heads for more than just her see-through, medieval-style look.
Roan raised his voice at a photographer who was at the scene of the step-and-repeat and told him to “shut the fuck up,” according to a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter). Before the heated moment, a person off-screen can be heard saying the same profane phrase, though it's unclear why.
—No, not me, b— —he added.
Shortly after the exchange, the “Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess” singer explained that she just wanted to stand her ground. “This is pretty overwhelming and pretty scary,” she told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet.
“I think for someone who gets really nervous when people yell at them, the carpet is horrible and I yelled back,” she continued. “You can’t yell at me like that.”
The 26-year-old singer, who has been on a hot streak all summer, has been transparent about the toll her rapid rise to fame has taken on her personal life and privacy. In a pair of scathing TikTok videos shared last month, Roan accused some fans of bullying, harassment and stalking her family. She also said it's “weird” for fans to stop her for a photo or hug.
Roan, after facing backlash, later clarified his message.
“I don’t agree with the idea that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I don’t know, don’t trust, or who make me uncomfortable, just because they express admiration to me,” she said in an August statement on social media. “Women don’t owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
On Wednesday, Roan didn’t just turn heads on the VMAs red carpet. With a flaming crossbow, she set the VMAs stage ablaze with her rendition of “Good Luck, Babe!” Dressed in armor, she sang and danced with sword-wielding background dancers as flames surrounded a castle.
Heading into Wednesday's ceremony, Roan was nominated in four categories, including song of the summer and video of the moment. She took home the new artist award and dedicated her win to those who have inspired her.
“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me. And I dedicate this to the queer and trans people who feed pop. To the gay people who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate,” she said while reading excerpts from her diary.
And he added: “And to all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I feel you. I get you, because I’m one of you. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”
