In the latest episode of Chappell Roan’s struggle against the double-edged sword of fame, she has issued a new statement via TikTok clarifying recent comments about the 2024 presidential election that have gone viral.
Pushing back against an overly-simple narrative that she’s withholding an endorsement of Kamala Harris solely because there are “problems on both sides” — which, to some, has been taken as tacit support for Donald Trump — Roan made a plea for the public not to take her comments out of context. “I have encouraged people to use critical thinking skills, learn about what they’re voting for, learn about who they’re voting for, and ask questions,” her statement began. “And it’s being completely taken out of context, per usual.”
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The “taken out of context” part likely refers to social media posts that have gained traction in regards to Roan’s lack of endorsement for Harris, with a recent tweet from Pop Flop about the comments getting over 75 million views in recent days.
As Roan noted, “there is a nuance to what I say in interviews, and I think it’s important that people use critical thinking.” In her view, “it’s important for me to question authority and question world leaders, and question myself, question my algorithm, question if some person tweeted something about someone else is even true. It’s important to question because that’s how I think we move forward.”
To that end, Roan expressed her desire to “be part of the generation that changes things for good, because we need it,” and stated that “actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement.” Then, she read the full quote from her recent Guardian interview that spurred the backlash the first place:
“I have so many issues with our government in every way,” she says. “There are so many things that I would want to change. So I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote – vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.” The change she wants to see in the US in this election year, she says instantly, is “trans rights. They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people, period.”
After that, Roan emphasized her commitment to trans lives and rights — saying, “this is not lip service, this is not virtue signaling” — and then got to the heart of the hubbub: “Hear it from my mouth, if you’re still wondering: No, I’m not voting for Trump, and yes, I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people. I will stand up for what’s right and what I believe in, and it’s always at the forefront of my project. I’m sorry that you fell for the clickbait.”
Watch the video of Roan’s full statement below.
All this comes after Roan pushed back against “creepy behavior” from fans last month, followed by an additional statement pushing back against the normalization of predatory behavior against well-known women. That was met with an outpouring of support from other celebrities, but Roan still likened fame to “the vibe of an abusive ex-husband,” and revealed a severe depression diagnosis earlier this week.
Up next, she’s set to appear on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live alongside host John Mulaney. Meanwhile, she still has a few tour dates on the books for this fall, including sets at All Things Go and the Austin City Limits Festival. Get tickets here.
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