The Gap Between Celebrity Image And Reality Just Got Exposed

Mar 24, 2026 - 10:28
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The Gap Between Celebrity Image And Reality Just Got Exposed

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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Chappell Roan hates you. Yeah, you. Ever belt out “Good Luck, Babe!” with the windows down or scream-sing “I’m gonna keep on dancin’ at the Pink Pony Club” between tequila shots? Then she really hates you. “I’m a random b*tch. You’re a random b*tch,” Roan says, taking the side you’re not on. “Just think about that for a second, okay?”

“I don’t 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,” Roan posts on Instagram. “Women don’t owe you sh*t.” 

In another video, she claims, “I love, like, admiration. Everyone loves admiration.” If it feels like you’re being gaslit, maybe it will help to know which person you’re talking to.

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Chappell Roan lives to suck the cash out of your bank account through your rabid obsession with her lifestyle, albums, and merch. But Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (that’s her “Christian” name) wants you to back the eff off and just freakin’ leave her alone with her $10 million fortune. 

She’s Chappell on stage and not-Chappell the rest of the time. Why is that so hard for non-famous poors to understand? 

“I think people are scared of me,” Roan tells the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “I think I made a big enough deal about not talking to me that people do not talk to me.” Yeah, maybe describing her followers as “predatory,” “dangerous,” and “abusive” makes some people a little nervous to say hi.

If the “look-at-me” prosthetic nipple piercings on Roan’s custom Mugler gown from the 2026 Grammys red carpet (she saved the real nudity for a braless Alexander McQueen dress at Paris Fashion Week) don’t seem to go with her demands for personal space and respect, you’re not alone in juggling the mixed messaging.

The parasocial relationship between stars and normies used to be clearly one-sided until social media blurred the lines and made it seem like we’re all best friends. It all came to a head for Roan when a young fan innocently smiled at her when she was allegedly off the clock. News flash: Your favorite celebrity doesn’t like you.

Ada Law, the 11-year-old daughter of actor Jude Law and Catherine Harding, was staying in the same five-star hotel as Chappell Roan when Ada noticed the pop star in the dining room. As Harding’s husband, former pro soccer star Jorginho recalled, Ada walked by Roan’s table to see if it was really her favorite singer, smiled, and returned to her family’s table. It was then that Roan’s security guy reportedly took the opportunity to remind Ada of her relative nobody status.

“A large security guard came over to their table while they were still having breakfast and began speaking in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter, saying that she shouldn’t allow my daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people,” Jorginho posted in an Instagram story. “My daughter was extremely shaken and cried a lot.”

Little Ada’s homemade sign that read “Hot To Go I Am Watching Chappell Roan!” in colorful bubble letters accompanied her dad’s message. 

So, let’s back this up a second. Chappell Roan has got little kids singing “H-O-T T-O G-O, you can take me hot to go,” while their parents buy them $250 VIP tickets (she donates $1 to transgender youth programs), $100 concert hoodies, $20 bejeweled retainer cases, and $16 cassette tapes that they’ll need a $100 reproduction Walkman to play. And her security team clearly got the memo that these vile supporters must be destroyed — at least, in spirit. And over hot cocoa and kid-sized caviar service, if possible.

Ada was attending Lollapalooza Brazil for her birthday, but she skipped Chappell Roan’s set after enduring the brunch takedown from security. Roan offered her side of the story on social media, of course, but couldn’t be bothered to reach out personally to her young fan. Sure, the “Femininomenon” singer previously claimed her friends with kids are “in hell,” but if you have to come out with a public statement like Roan’s “I do not hate people who are fans of my music,” you might hate people who are fans of your music. 

Fandom is changing in the era of celebrity oversharing on social media. But while there’s surely a time and a place for an autograph, most of us aren’t the creepy stalker type. We just love our favorite stars. We stream movies more often at home, but Hollywood still rakes in $9 billion a year in movie theater tickets. And in 2025, we proved we’re down to pay $11.5 billion for music, even before we scraped together thousands of dollars for “funflated” live concerts and events. But other than the obligatory wave from the red carpet, do the stars we support ever love us back?

Justin Bieber alerted the world that he was over taking selfies even if fans paid for his record. As he posted to Instagram, “You got what you paid for AN ALBUM! It doesn’t say in fine print whenever you see me you also get a photo.” When a fan asked rapper Doja Cat for a harmless “love you” online, she confirmed she has no love for her loyal followers, adding, “I don’t even know y’all.” 

After telling a group of excited young supporters outside the Valentino runway show in Italy to “Calma, calma,” actor Anne Hathaway declared, like Temu royalty, “I cannot take photos with everyone, but I will stand here and wave if you would like to take a photo.” She also made sure to smile and tell them “grazie” for staying the hell away from her.

There’s a way for Chappell Roan to survive her financially lucrative yet toxic relationship with all of her fans: She could just act like she’s grateful for the life she created because people like us buy her stuff. But apparently that’s too difficult for Gen Z’s self-care queen.

“It’s gonna take a second for people to really look at themselves,” Roan says, still waiting for her fans to grab onto her message regarding her untouchable status. “I have to have grace for that.” Who knows whether we’ll get that grace as a book, a tour, or a $15 bumper sticker?

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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Fibis I am just an average American. My teen years were in the late 70s and I participated in all that that decade offered. Started working young, too young. Then I joined the Army before I graduated High School. I spent 25 years in, mostly in Infantry units. Since then I've worked in information technology positions all at small family owned companies. At this rate I'll never be a tech millionaire. When I was young I rode horses as much as I could. I do believe I should have been a cowboy. I'm getting in the saddle again by taking riding lessons and see where it goes.