Chappell Roan Shares She Has Been Diagnosed With “Severe Depression”

Chappell Roan recently opened up and revealed that she has been diagnosed with “severe depression” following her jump to stardom.

NME shares that the “Pink Pony Club” singer has been vocal about her struggles with fame for months, taking to social media to call out “weird” and “creepy” fan behaviors that included “non-consensual physical and social interactions.”

In speaking with the Guardian, Roan has shared she was recently diagnosed with “severe depression” after going “to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on.”

She told the news outlet: “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 went on to explain that this includes brain fog, forgetfulness, poor focus and “a very lackluster viewpoint.”

Roan has connected this to her newfound fame. “I think it’s because my whole life has changed. 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?” 

“Every time I walk through my front door, it just comes out of me,” she admitted. “I can’t even help it, I just start sobbing and either being so angry at myself for choosing this path or grieving how the curiosity and pure wonder I had about the world is somewhat taken away from me.”

The Missouri-born singer also compared fame to “going through puberty again”: “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. I look at [Lady] Gaga and 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.”

After her initial comments about fan behavior and the subsequent backlash, a handful of female artists came to Roan’s defense, including Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, MUNA, Miley Cyrus, boygenius and Sabrina Carpenter. The “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” singer also shared that Lorde had reached out to share her own experiences dealing with fame and negativity at such a young age. “She sent me a list of things I should do,” Roan said. “Literally wrote down eight things she wished someone would have told her when she was going through it. And she went through fucking hell. She was a baby!” Mitski has also welcomed Roan to “the shittiest exclusive club in the world,” warning her of the downsides of her sudden rise.

Before Roan posted on social media addressing her fans, she had articulated wanting to “[pump] the brakes” on her career after fans gave off “stalker vibes.” Her remarks earned praises from Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who took to Instagram to call the pop star “brave.”

Chappell Roan is currently touring following the success of her 2023 debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Information about dates and times of performances can be found here.