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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Chappell Roan spoke about his bipolar II disorder and how his global stardom triggered feelings of hypomania.
The 26-year-old pop star has recently experienced a rise to fame after opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts world tour earlier this year. With her critically acclaimed debut album, The rise and fall of a Midwestern princessReaching streaming success levels, Chappell Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, admitted she was struggling with symptoms related to her bipolar II disorder around the same time she achieved mainstream popularity.
“I started gaining a lot of followers when I got really crazy on TikTok,” Roan explained in a cover story for Rolling Stone released on Sept. 10. Her 2020 single, “Pink Pony Club,” had found success on the video-sharing platform, fueled by the singer’s TikToks about the music industry and dating in Los Angeles.
Roan revealed to the outlet that during that time he was experiencing hypomania, a common symptom of bipolar II disorder that involves elevated mood and hyperactivity. “I wasn’t sleeping,” Roan said. “I was on the wrong medications. I had energy and delusions and I realized that this app feeds off of mental illness. Directly.”
Her mental illness had gotten so far that the “Casual” singer began experiencing suicidal ideation. Roan decided to enter outpatient therapy in 2022, just as she was opening for Rodrigo during his Guts tour in May of that year. “I realized I can’t live like this. I can’t live being so depressed or feeling so lost that I want to kill myself. I just got my act together,” she shared, before admitting how “grateful” she was to have sought mental health treatment before her recent rise to fame.
“A year ago I couldn’t have endured any of this. It would have been too much,” Roan said.
After decades of struggling with her mental health, the “Red Wine Supernova” singer was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder at age 22. According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including mania and depression. Patients with bipolar II disorder may experience at least one major depressive episode and hypomanic episodes, though they never reach a full-blown manic episode.
Last month, Roan made a strong public statement about personal boundaries after sharing multiple posts on social media about “crazy” fan behavior. In a series of TikToks posted on Aug. 19, she called out “entitled” fans after they had allegedly begun stalking her and her family, harassing her online, and becoming abusive when she refused to pose for photos or give hugs.
The “Femininomenon” singer then emphasized her stance in another statement posted on Instagram, in which she explained why she must “draw lines and set boundaries” when it comes to interactions with her fans.
“For the past 10 years I have been working non-stop to build my project and I have reached the point where I need to draw lines and set boundaries,” she wrote in her Instagram post on August 23. “[I’ve wanted] “I’ve been an artist for a long time. I’ve been in too many non-consensual physical and social interactions and I just need to make it clear and remind you that women don’t owe you anything.”
She continued: “I chose this career 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. When I’m on stage, when I’m performing, when I’m dressed in drag, when I’m at a work event, when I’m doing press… I’m at work. In any other circumstance, I’m not in work mode. I’m off the clock.”
Roan believed that certain “predatory” behaviors had been disguised as “superfan” behavior, which she said had become normalized “because of the way well-known women have been treated in the past.”
“I want to love my life, be outside, laugh with my friends, go to the movies, feel safe and do all the things that every person deserves to do,” she continued. “Please stop touching me. Please stop acting weird around my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me. There’s always more to the story. I’m scared and I’m tired.”
“There is a part of me that I keep just for my project and for all of you. There is a part of me that is just for me and I don’t want it taken away from me. Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your understanding and support,” Roan concluded.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, confidentially, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected] or visit the Samaritans website. Samaritans Website to find details of the nearest branch.
If you are in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, please call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline online chat. This is a free and confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
