Chappell Roan Says She Was Diagnosed With "Severe Depression" After Becoming Famous
“Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage."
Chappell Roan is opening up about the downside of fame. In an interview with The Guardian published on Friday, Roan (born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) revealed that she's been diagnosed with "severe depression" following the sky-rocketing success her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and how she's coping with being in the public eye.
"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 diagnosed me with severe depression–which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad. But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed,” the singer said, citing symptoms of brain fog, forgetfulness, and a "very lackluster viewpoint."
Despite being in the music industry for a decade, Roan says her mental health has been affected by her next-level fame and lack of anonymity. “I think it’s because my whole life has changed,” Roan explained. “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. Going to the park, pilates, yoga–how do I do this in a safe way where I’m not going to be stalked or harassed?”
Earlier this year, Roan faced backlash after issuing a statement about invasive fan behavior, writing: “Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me.” And most recently, the pop star told a photographer who was shouting at her on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards to "shut the fuck up."
“I’m very turned off by the celebrity of it all,” Roan said. “Some girls have been in this so long that they’re used to that, but I’m not that girl. I’m not gonna be a sweetie pie to a man who’s telling me to shut the fuck up.” As for her fans, she added, “They think I’m complaining about my success. I’m complaining about being abused.”
Roan revealed that she was warned by other celebrities that fame can feel like "going through puberty again"—something she can relate to. "My body does feel different. It’s holding tension in a very different way: I have all these new emotions and I’m really confused. It’s how it felt to be 12," she said. "I look at [Lady] Gaga and even Sabrina [Carpenter] and Lana [Del Rey]–when I see them going out in public, I can’t even imagine how much they’ve had to prepare for that.”
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