Chappell Roan has been majorly affected by a sudden rise to fame and has received a diagnosis of “severe depression” after visiting a psychiatrist.
Roan has been outspoken about the scary side of being famous, and called out “predatory” fans for “nonconsensual physical and social interactions.” She also discussed the suicidal ideation she experienced while on tour with Olivia Rodrigo in 2022.
In a new interview with The Guardian posted Friday, September 20, Roan opened up about her decision to seek medical attention after experiencing some seriously distressing mental health symptoms.
“I’m in therapy twice a week,” she told the outlet. “I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on. She diagnosed me with severe depression – which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad.”
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The “Good Luck Babe” singer told the publication she’d experienced symptoms such as brain fog, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness and “a very lacklustre viewpoint.”
Despite having worked in the music industry for a decade, 2024 saw a huge shift in the attention Roan’s work received. While she was reportedly able to exist fairly anonymously before, the stratospheric success of her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess altered everything.
“I think it’s because my whole life has changed,” Roan told The Guardian of her depression diagnosis.
She continued, “Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage. If I want to go thrifting, I have to book security and prepare myself that this is not going to be normal.”
Roan also noted that everyday activities such as working out or going to the park were no longer “safe” as she feared being “stalked or harassed.”
Addressing the viral moment when she told a photographer on the red carpet at the VMAs to “shut the f— up,” Roan told the publication that she’s “very turned off by the celebrity of it all.”
“Some girls have been in this so long that they’re used to that, but I’m not that girl,” she told The Guardian. “I’m not gonna be a sweetie pie to a man who’s telling me to shut the f— up.”
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The “Casual” singer also noted that she was pre-warned that becoming hugely famous would be “like going through puberty.”
“I can’t even help it, I just start sobbing and either being so angry at myself for choosing this path, or grieving how the curiosity and pure wonder I had about the world is somewhat taken away from me,” Roan explained.
In spite of the negatives associated with sudden fame, Roan wanted to let her fans know that she’s in no way ungrateful for the appreciation her music has found.
“They think I’m complaining about my success,” she noted. “I’m complaining about being abused.”
