Boy George has weighed in on the recent viral moment in which pop star Chappell Roan told off people in the street who were ‘harassing’ her.
The Karma Chameleon singer, 64, told Chappell to ‘cheer up’ and embrace the realities of fame after a tense encounter with photographers in Paris.
The Culture Club frontman shared his thoughts on social media after a video circulated online showing Roan confronting paparazzi and fans outside a restaurant during Paris Fashion Week.
In the clip, the 28-year-old singer — whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz — can be seen filming the group on her phone and accusing them of ignoring her repeated requests to leave her alone.
‘I’m just trying to go to dinner, and I’ve asked these people several times to get away from me,’ she said in the video.
‘These are all the people that are completely disregarding all of my boundaries.’
The My Kink Is Karma singer also refused a request for an autograph during the encounter, telling the fan: ‘No, I’m not gonna sign.’
The video quickly spread online, sparking debate among fans about celebrity privacy and how much access the public should expect from pop stars.
Responding to the situation, Boy George suggested Roan might need time to adjust to the pressures that come with global attention.
‘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 on X.
The singer admitted he sympathised with Roan’s frustration, noting that he had clashed with photographers himself over the years.
‘I watched Chappell filming the paps in Paris and I laughed because I have kicked off at them many times,’ he said.
But he encouraged the singer to embrace her popularity rather than fight against it.
‘The trick is to own your fame,’ he continued. ‘Yes, it’s annoying at times but so is being ignored and told you’re a ‘has-been’.’
George concluded his message with some blunt advice: ‘I think Chappell looks great but cheer up girl. The world is at your feet — stop kicking it.’
Roan has been open about her discomfort with the intense scrutiny that comes with pop stardom.
In a 2025 appearance on the Outlaws podcast with TS Madison, she said public criticism and invasive fan behaviour had pushed her to draw firm boundaries.
‘I’ve been treated better at my donut shop job than I have on a f—ing carpet,’ she said at the time.
The singer also warned that without clearer limits around her personal space she could eventually reach a breaking point.
‘Do you want me to just get to the point where I become agoraphobic?’ she asked. ‘If I don’t stand up for myself, I will quit because I cannot bear this.’
Roan has recently been attending a series of shows during Paris Fashion Week, appearing at presentations for brands including Acne Studios, Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander McQueen.
Meanwhile, Boy George has also been making headlines recently after revealing he uses AI tools to help spark ideas when writing lyrics.
His use of AI has drawn mixed reactions amid growing debate over artificial intelligence in the music industry.
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