Chappell Roan was "HOT TO GO!" as she arrived on the red carpet for the 2024 MTV VMAs.
When the pop star arrived at the award show on Wednesday, September 11, she had words for a photographer who seemingly was eager to take her picture before she was ready to pose. After a paparazzi yelled, "Shut the fuck up," Roan was captured in videos taken by onlookers as responding "You shut the fuck up."
As seen by videos shared on X (formerly Twitter), the 26-year-old singer-songwriter, who was wearing a medieval-inspired, hooded gown, was at the start of the carpet and seemed to be getting ready to walk it when she made the comment. At the time, a member of her team was still preparing her train.
In another video shared on social media, Roan (whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) was seen saying, "Not me, bitch," seemingly to the same photographer.
It's unclear why the photographer made the remark to begin with, but according to one clip posted to X, someone in the crowd supported Raon by yelling, "You tell ‘em, girl!"
Roan then went on to walk the carpet and pose for a handful of shots.
Fans on social media have been quick to point out she was setting a boundary and trying to "defend" herself. Some have even joked about how "iconic" the moment was, with one even joking, "Bring real DIVAS back to pop!!"
This year's Video Music Awards marks the "Pink Pony Club" singer's first-ever nominations. She's up for the coveted Best New Artist award—and among the top three finalists—as well as Song of the Summer for "Good Luck, Babe!," Best Trending Video for "HOT TO GO!" and MTV Push Performance of the Year for "Red Wine Supernova."
Roan's comments directed at a photographer on the red carpet come amid her recent statements about needing to set boundaries with fans. As the hitmaker has experienced a rapid ascension since the 2023 release of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, she's been vocal about struggling to adjust to fame.
In late August, she posted a series of TikToks asking rhetorical questions about whether it is ever okay to "harass" women on the street, referencing recent fan interactions that have made her uncomfortable.
"I don't care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous, whatever—I don't care that it's normal," she said in the clip.
"I don't care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I've chosen," she continued. "That does not make it okay. That doesn't make it normal. It doesn't mean I want it, it doesn't mean that I like it."
She later followed up her TikToks with an additional, clarifying statement on Instagram, and has continued to speak out in interviews about her mental health amid her whirlwind of a past year.
