Chappell Roan Explained Why She Told Off a VMAs Red Carpet Photographer

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For Chappell Roan, VMAs 2024 brought forth many firsts: a fiery award show debut, two nominations, and being knighted as this year’s Best New Artist. However, it also spurred a tense exchange with a photographer on the red carpet.

As the musician posed in head-to-toe Joan of Arc-esque garb at the beginning of the night, a photographer shouted “Shut the f*ck up” in Roan’s direction. With her back towards the press, she wagged her finger and immediately returned “You shut the f*ck up,” followed by a frank, “Not me b*tch.”

The interaction came right after her first Rolling Stone cover story, in which she called out invasive fans and spoke on the very issue that unfolded on the red carpet. “They need to see me as a random bitch on the street. You can’t yell at a random bitch who’s on the sidewalk that you don’t know,” Roan told the publication.

Just last month, the musician got candid on TikTok to decry parasocial “abuse and harassment” from followers and paparazzi who too readily cross boundaries and stalk her whereabouts. “I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen. That does not make it OK,” she said in the video series.

The pre-VMAs interaction spurred rumors and mixed responses online, but afterwards, Roan spoke with Entertainment Tonight to clear up all the hearsay. “This is quite overwhelming and quite scary…For someone who gets a lot of anxiety around people yelling at you, the carpet is horrifying, and I yelled back,” she admitted to the news source. Fans and musicians alike also took to social media to express their support. “Way to stand up for yourself,” Noah Kahan tweeted to Roan, recalling his own unfortunate past paparazzi experiences.

Fortunately for Roan, the night ended not with martyrdom but with an unforgettable performance, flames and swords abound, and a heartfelt speech she dedicated to “all the queer and trans people that fuel pop all around.”

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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