Add Maya Rudolph to the list of celebrities who have voiced support for pop star Chappelle Rowan and her outspoken stance on the dangers of her fans. Rowan has been vocal about maintaining boundaries with fans, and just this week revealed that she was dealing with an active stalker.
Like Rowan, Rudolph said she’s encountered her share of people in her daily life who feel entitled to interrupt her at inappropriate times and harass her for being so recognizable. When Variety sat down with Rudolph in late August for a cover interview (read it here ), it was just days after Rowan had posted a series of TikTok posts sharing her feelings about the expectations fans place on her — and the artificial sense of familiarity that comes with fame in this digital age.
“She said a lot of things that I felt very relatable,” said Rudolph, a fan of Rowan’s who has been listening to her music all summer. “I was grateful that someone of her stature was speaking up and being so honest. I think the moment she talked about people touching her was the moment that made me think, ‘Oh, I’ve never really heard anyone talk about that!’ Because no one really thinks about it when they touch you, but it’s actually not fun for me, and I don’t handle it very well. I wish I handled it better, but I really don’t.”
Rudolph noted that this had indeed happened that morning when she was taking her son to the doctor's office.
“I think I learned a long time ago that when people yell at me, they’re probably trying to be funny,” she said. “But it comes across as a very aggressive energy. And when you’re in the market, or when you’re walking with your kids, or doing something with your family, that’s not always the right time.”
It's an issue that many people in the public eye are having to deal with, more than ever, in the age of social media. “I think the access we have to people and who we think they are has created something that makes people think you belong to them,” Rudolph added.
She noted that this is also a generational issue, with younger generations being more attuned to their boundaries and protecting their mental health.
“Boundaries is not a word that we Gen Xers learned,” she said. “It’s something that’s very important to develop in our lives. But every person walking around with a camera in their pocket doesn’t help them set boundaries. I believe in power, and I don’t do things like, ‘Please, no pictures.’ I go about my daily life in the world, and I hope people treat me with the same respect that I treat them.”
In her posts, Rowan noted, “I don’t care that abuse, harassment, stalking, or anything else is normal for famous or somewhat famous people to do… That doesn’t make it acceptable, that doesn’t make it normal.”
She later added: “I have been in many unacceptable physical and social interactions, and I just need to clarify and remind you that women do not owe you anything. I chose this career path because I love music and art and to honor my inner child. I do not accept harassment in any form because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
“When I’m on stage, when I’m performing, when I’m wearing women’s clothing, when I’m at a work event, when I’m interviewing… I’m at work,” she wrote. “In any other circumstance, I’m not at work. I’m off work. I don’t agree with the idea that I owe myself energy, time, or attention to people I don’t know, don’t trust, or who annoy me—just because they express admiration.”
In an interview published by Rolling Stone this week, Rowan spoke about being kissed without consent, having her father’s personal number leaked, and being harassed by a man at the airport for his signature. “I got home and fell to my knees,” she said. “I have a hard time crying now because of my medication, but I cried and I screamed.”
Rowan also shared a list of other pop stars who have expressed their support in the wake of her comments, including Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Hayley Williams, Troye Sivan, Katy Perry, Lorde, Mitski, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Lucy Dacus, Julian Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers.
