Chappell Roan reveals her battle with depression as she gets candid about the dark side of fame

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, 26, is known for her bold music and powerful performances, but behind the scenes, she’s facing a different battle—severe depression.

The rising star recently revealed her diagnosis and opened up about the struggles she's faced while navigating fame, and how she even considered quitting the music industry due to intense and unwanted attention.

Chappell Roan reveals severe depression diagnosis and therapy journey

In a candid interview with The Guardian, Chappell Roan discussed how therapy has become a crucial part of her routine as she adjusts to her newfound celebrity status.

“I'm in therapy twice a week. I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on,” she shared.

To her surprise, she was diagnosed with severe depression, despite not feeling what she imagined depression to be.

"I didn't think I had [it] because I'm not actually sad. But I have every symptom of someone who's severely depressed."

Roan went on to describe her symptoms, including brain fog, forgetfulness, and trouble focusing.

These issues, coupled with a "very lacklustre viewpoint," led her to realize the toll her rapid rise to fame has taken on her mental health.

The singer attributes much of her struggle to the drastic changes in her life. "Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage," she admitted.

Even simple activities like thrifting or going to the park now require careful planning and security measures.

"If I want to go thrifting, I have to book security and prepare myself that this is not going to be normal."

Roan compared the pressures of fame to being trapped in an abusive relationship. She told The Face, “I feel like fame is just abusive. The vibe of this – stalking, talking s*** online, [people who] won’t leave you alone, yelling at you in public – is the vibe of an abusive ex-husband. That’s what it feels like. I didn’t know it would feel this bad.”

Chappell Roan opens up about downsides of fame

Despite the hardships, Chappell Roan still finds joy in the positive feedback from her fans.

"I can’t read my DMs anymore, because I cry so much," she revealed. "But when people are like, ​'Whatever you’re doing, it helped me'—I don’t think any award or any money or whatever can be exchanged for that compliment."

For Roan, creating a space where people feel free and accepted is the most important part of her career: “I don’t care about anything else, except giving space to people to be free. Because that’s what I needed so bad: freedom.”

The singer’s outspokenness about the downsides of fame hasn’t always been well-received.

At the 2024 VMAs, she made headlines after clapping back at a photographer who told her to “shut the f*** up” while she adjusted her outfit on the red carpet, as per Daily Mail.

Her assertiveness has earned her a mixed reputation, with some jokingly dubbing her 'Chappell Moan' on social media.

But Roan isn’t shying away from speaking out. In a TikTok video posted in late August, she slammed fans who cross her boundaries.

She questioned, “If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from your car window? Would you harass her in public?”

Roan made it clear that just because unwanted attention is common in her industry, it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

“I don’t care that it’s normal. I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job. That does not make it OK, that doesn’t make it normal. That doesn’t mean that I want it, that doesn’t mean that I like it.”