Fans are the core of the celebrities’ success, and they deserve respect and kindness in return.
For many celebrities, especially those who had difficulty gaining traction, fans promoted them when labels would not, making it fair for celebrities to show appreciation rather than disrespect.
Discussion around the relationship between fans and celebrities has skyrocketed recently following an incident involving singer Chappell Roan and a fan.
In March 2026, leading up to Lollapalooza Brazil in Sao Paolo, Brazilian soccer player Jorginho alleged that Roan’s security was aggressive towards his 11-year-old stepdaughter after she walked past Roan’s table to confirm it was Roan while at a hotel restaurant.
Sophomore Logan Gladstone said, “Everybody deserves privacy and boundaries, especially celebrities like Roan who are constantly in the public eye. But allegedly sending security to confront a child for looking to see who you are is absurd.”
Roan addressed the situation saying she was “unaware” and the security guard was not a part of her team, then apologized to the family. The security guard confirmed he was not sent by Roan, was not a part of her team and took full responsibility.
Fans are the foundation to the fame of a celebrity, especially one like Roan, who had a relatively slow start to her career. They buy concert tickets, buy and stream albums and promote artists when labels do not.
“Without fans, artists would be trapped being unknown. Just because celebrities have to respect fans doesn’t mean that the reverse isn’t true. Respect goes both ways,” said sophomore Noah Cytrynbaum.
Despite Roan and the security guard denying that Roan had any role in the incident, alleged treatment towards fans negatively impacts the career and reputation of celebrities.
Roan was banned from the Todo Mundo No Rio (Whole World in Rio) music event by mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Cavaliere following the incident. Todo Mundo No Rio is one of the largest music events ever, happening every year on Copacabana Beach.
In 2024 and 2025, it was headlined by Madonna then Lady Gaga with supporting acts such as Diplo, Pabllo Vittar and Anitta.
Freshman Hanna Laufer said, “I think that Chappell Roan’s ban from that festival is irrelevant to the incident at all, it is just a tactic to continue and worsen her image. She did not come to Brazil to perform at that festival and she is not at that point in her career to perform at that festival and won’t be for a long time.”
Celebrities hold power and influence while fans are typically younger and vulnerable in situations involving people they are not familiar with.
Having a big influence over young people comes with responsibility, and they should not be using it to intimidate fans but to uplift them.
Respect can be shown in simple actions such as acknowledging fans kindly while being calm and mature during difficult situations. A polite response, no matter how big or small, can make a big difference.
Celebrities should be fully capable of setting up boundaries where needed and maintaining their privacy. However, respecting young fans and handling situations professionally is crucial.
