Boy George has weighed in on Chappell Roan’s viral confrontation with paparazzi, offering the rising pop star some blunt advice about life in the spotlight.
Roan recently drew attention online after confronting photographers and autograph seekers who followed her outside a restaurant in Paris. In a video circulating on social media, the singer asked the photographers to stop following and harassing her, then turned her own camera toward them to show what the experience felt like from her perspective.
The moment sparked debate among fans about celebrity privacy and the pressures of sudden fame.
Boy George addressed the situation in a social media post on Tuesday, reflecting on his own decades of experience as a global pop star.
“I have been doing this fame thing for a while and you learn slowly and painfully that you don’t get a free pass once you turn yourself into a bird of paradise,” he wrote.
The Culture Club frontman said he understood Roan’s frustration, noting that he had confronted paparazzi himself at various points in his career.
“I watched Chappell Roan filming the paps in Paris and I laughed because I have kicked off at them many times,” he said.
Still, George suggested that celebrities eventually have to learn how to navigate the attention that comes with fame.
“The trick is to own your fame,” he wrote, adding that while the constant attention can be frustrating, being ignored can be just as difficult for performers.
He encouraged Roan to embrace her moment in the spotlight.
“Chappell looks great but cheer up girl,” he wrote. “The world is at your feet.”
Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, has become one of pop’s fastest-rising stars with songs including “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Hot to Go!”
Alongside her musical success, she has been outspoken about the pressures artists face in the public eye. She has criticized aggressive paparazzi behavior, called out intrusive fan interactions, and advocated for better treatment and pay for musicians.
Boy George is no stranger to navigating fame himself. The Culture Club singer has released nearly two dozen albums across his career and has also appeared on numerous reality television shows, including Project Runway All Stars, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The New Celebrity Apprentice.
