Singer Chappell Roan, who shot to fame last year, has revealed she's been diagnosed with severe depression and is undergoing therapy after facing outrage from fans over her comments on the challenges of fame.
The 26-year-old pop star's debut 2023 album, "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess," propelled her into the spotlight, with six tracks landing on the U.S. Hot 100 and three on the UK Top 40 charts. Earlier this year, she won the Best New Artist award at the recent MTV VMAs, but as her popularity grows, she faces wider backlash.
Amid the criticism, Roan was diagnosed with severe depression, which she revealed in an interview with The Guardian.
"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," she told the publication.
Roan rattled off a list of symptoms, including brain fog, forgetfulness, poor focus, and "a very lackluster viewpoint," which she had been experiencing that led to her diagnosis.
"I think it's because my whole life has changed," she said. "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?"
During the interview, Roan addressed an incident at the VMAs in which she whirled around to face a photographer shouting her name and said, "No, you shut the [expletive] up."
"I'm very turned off by the celebrity of it all," she 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 [expletive] up."
She knows that some fans don't want to hear any of this, but stands her ground.
"They think I'm complaining about my success. I'm complaining about being abused," she said.
Roan previously spoke about her mental health and about her battle with bipolar II disorder, which she was diagnosed with at 22.
"Being bipolar, I was so depressed as a little kid and so angry," she told the University of Southern California's Daily Trojan last year. "You just think you're such a bad person, and don't realize that you're really sick and need help, and our parents don't know how to deal with it. I think it's like rewiring my brain to be like, 'Actually, you're a good person, and you're creating a safe space and music for people to dance to.' "
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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