Lizzo is one of the latest musicians to speak out about inappropriate fan behavior, pushing back against the idea that because a person is of celebrity status, they are entitled to less privacy.
Dueting a TikTok video from Chappell Roan–the pop star on a meteoric rise–discussing experiences she’s had with disrespectful fans in an attempt to set boundaries with them, the “Truth Hurts” songstress recalled an “uncomfortable” interaction she had with a fan around the same time her career began really taking off.
“I remember the last time I flew on a plane by myself I was flying, sitting in my seat and there was a woman on the plane, who I could only assume was a fan of my music,” she began in the recent clip, going on to explain that she wasn’t looking her best for the flight but the person still asked her for a photo.
“I was like, ‘Um, not right now. Let’s wait for after the flight,'” Lizzo said.
The 36-year-old continued, saying that by the time the flight landed and she was ready to exit the plane, she had completely forgotten she had promised the fan a photo, but they apparently did not.
“I exited the plane, and she followed me through the airport, and I remember feeling uncomfortable. She was like stalking me down.”
The Grammy winner said she tried to lose the fan by “hiding” in one of the convenience stores inside the airport but that “she found her way in there and cornered me and was like ‘Can I have my photo now?!'”
@lizzo Sending u love @chappell roan
♬ original sound – lizzo
Lizzo explained that the problem isn’t that the fan wanted a photo with her—she’s happy to take photos with people after shows or if she’s at a public event (or any other time she’s photo-ready and feeling it)—but how they went about it.
“To be chased when I’m not ‘performing,’ I wasn’t there for her; I was on a flight for my own personal reasons,” she said, adding, “In a lot of ways, energetically, I was off the clock.”
Lizzo said that she eventually complied and posed for the picture.
The fan’s decision to follow her around the airport and demand Lizzo “Gimme my photo” is “wild” behavior, according to the star. “And it’s something no one will ever understand unless it happens to them.”
Praising Chappell, Lizzo agreed this is not what artists “signed up for” when they rose to fame and that they have every right to want some privacy. But it’s also not “about shaming fans.”
“This isn’t about shaming people who want a photo with their favorite artist,” Lizzo clarified. “This is a reminder that we’re all human.”
“For people to say ‘this is what you signed up for’ is just wild and completely insensitive and absolutely untrue,” she added before reminding others—whether they’re movie stars or influencers with thousands of followers—to take care of themselves.
“We all need a refresh on empathy,” she concluded.
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