Chappell Roan doesn’t play around with the boundaries she sets for fans — and now for press photographers.
The “Hot to Go!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” singer, one of pop music’s current femininomenons, made her MTV Video Music Awards debut Wednesday. During the red carpet outside of the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, Roan turned heads for more than her sheer, medieval-style look.
Roan raised her voice at a photographer stationed at the step-and-repeat, telling them to “shut the f— 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 line, though it’s unclear why.
“No, not me, b—,” she added.
Shortly after the exchange, the “Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess” musician explained that she just meant to stand her ground. “This is quite overwhelming and quite scary,” she told Entertainment Tonight on the carpet.
“I think for someone who gets a lot of anxiety around people yelling at you, the carpet is horrifying and I yelled back,” she continued. “You don’t get to 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 quick rise to fame has taken on her personal life and privacy. In a pair of pointed TikTok videos shared last month, Roan accused some fans of harassment, bullying 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 her message.
“I do not 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,” she said in the August statement on social media. “Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
On Wednesday, Roan didn’t bring the heat only to the VMAs red carpet. With a flaming crossbow, she set the VMAs stage ablaze for her performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” In a suit of armor, she sang and danced with sword-wielding background dancers as the flames surrounded a castle.
Heading into Wednesday’s ceremony, Roan was nominated in four categories, including song of the summer and trending video. She took home the new artist prize 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 queer and trans people that fuel pop around. To the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate,” she said, reading from her diary.
She added: “And for all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you, because I’m one of you. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you wanna be.”
