Chappell Roan Had A Heated Exchange On The VMAs Red Carpet

Chappell Roan wasn’t here for the photographers on the VMAs red carpet. The singer (real name Kayleigh Amstutz) stopped by MTV’s Video Music Awards on Sept. 11 and posed for photographers ahead of the show. However, in a now-viral video circulating online, an unseen paparazzo can be heard yelling at Roan — and things soon got heated.

While adjusting her dress on the red carpet, the singer quickly turned around and shouted, “You shut the f*ck up” toward the flashing lights. Roan then pointed at herself and told the photographer, “Not Me.”

It’s unclear what prompted the singer’s response. However, in a subsequent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Roan explained that she gets “anxiety around people yelling,” and described the VMAs carpet as “horrifying.”

Roan received four nominations at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of best new artist, push performance of the year for “Red Wine Supernova,” best trending video for “Hot To Go!,” and song of summer for “Good Luck, Babe!” — which she also performed live.

The singer won the trophy for best new artist during the ceremony at New York’s UBS Arena and gave a heartfelt speech in which she thanked the queer community.

After thanking MTV, her friends, and family, Roan dedicated the award to the drag queens who “inspire” her. She added, “I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop. To the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love — or hate.”

“Thank you to the people who are fans, who listen to me, who hear me when I share my joy and my fears,” she continued. “For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now: I see you. I understand you because I’m one of you, and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”

The Rise Of Roan

The singer released her first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023. The record has since produced seven Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “Pink Pony Club,” “My Kink Is Karma,” “Femininomenon,” “Casual,” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Hot to Go!,” and “Good Luck, Babe!”

Roan also performed a record-breaking set at the Lollapalooza festival on Aug. 1, after which a spokesperson for the event told CNN that her performance “was the biggest daytime set we’ve ever seen.”