Her privacy had been invaded and boundaries had been crossed by fans the previous year, from finding out where her mother and sister worked to running up to her, going about her daily life in public, asking for a selfie. Since then, it hasn’t been uncommon for her to wear a disguise in public to avoid being spotted.
At 27 years old, Roan has been one of the fastest-growing singers of the past few years, from supporting Olivia Rodrigo on tour across the US to releasing her debut album The ‘Rise and Fall of A Midwestern Princess’, all while being outspoken about her beliefs on politics and music, The success isn’t as sweet as it seems however, with her taking a break in March 2025 to focus on her mental health as well as dealing with the fame she has garnered. It's something that is becoming common amongst young artists, especially those born out of social media virality, where everyone is waiting for their piece of the pie or moment to speak up.
In August 2024,Roan herself spoke on this when she released a statement on TikTok where she stated that stalking and invasion of privacy shouldn’t be the norm when you’re a celebrity, a controversial statement that split opinions with some stating it's part of being famous and how she had signed up for it while others defending her with various examples of damaging and dangerous fan behaviour like the case of singer Christina Grimme in 2016. The discussions quickly made Roan into more of a spectacle and talking point rather than a normal person who wanted to make music and deserves privacy if they so wish. It's not the first case of its kind, nor will it unfortunately be the last.
In 2012, this kind of parasocial (a one sided relationship with no mutual connection that can form between fans and musicians, characters and people) behaviour wasn’t uncommon for certain circles of “Stan” Twitter (now X) from tracking down and spreading flight information, or hacking security cameras of the airports where their favourite artists were arriving into e.g., One Direction at Auckland Airport.
There were even stories of other fans turning up to their favourite artist’s house in the hopes of meeting them, but having the opposite effect of driving them out of their homes, like the instance with Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack in 2017, who moved after he found out fans had been sharing his home address online. He put out this statement at the time.
“I appreciate the dedication so many have given to me and my career over the years; however, I must insist that finding information about, sharing the address & showing up at my home is inappropriate. We will be moving, and I hope that going forward, personal privacy will be respected.”
In 2025, cases like the above have only continued, including one instance where fans of folk singer Noah Kahan turned up at his family home in Massachusetts, and another where indie rock artist James Marriott, while performing at TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, was allegedly groped by a fan while performing his hit single “Grapes”. Meeting your favourite artist is still a dream of many, and finding one you identify with as if they know you is a wonderful experience, one many fans had during the pandemic; however, meeting an artist at a gig venue before or after a gig and telling them you love them, or asking for a hug and a photo is very different to breaking trust and invading privacy on private property and grabbing them inappropriately as described by Marriott Himself in a recent TikTok:
“Someone at TRNSMT Festival touched my penis, and I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I go in the crowd a lot and that has never happened before”.
As online fandom spaces have expanded over the last decade, there has been a clear parallel growth in access to celebrity lives, with platforms like TikTok becoming the metaphorical best friend with all the gossip who likes to push boundaries when it comes to the information shared. The question is, at what point is the boundary broken down rather than crossed, and trust is destroyed to a point where an artist no longer interacts with or has any involvement with fans?
The question goes beyond just the what; it's also about the why of what has been happening in fan spaces and beyond, for as long as they have. One key reason could be the rising sense of one-upmanship for virality; algorithms run on interaction, and are specific to those using them. For example, if someone watches at least 60 seconds of a TikTok about Sabrina Carpenter, then with one refresh, their “For You” page is filled with videos on the same topic, which can be used to an advantage or disadvantage depending on context.
As a result, an addictive loop is created, and after a while, it can make some fans feel like they’re experts on their favourite artists, with a rush of dopamine to the brain as a result. The same goes for a fan who receives a comment from an artist, which can feel like a huge achievement in the moment, but really is just an artist doing their job. With the reward in the brain, the process can continue with the hopes of the same response. Some may give up, while others may take things offline and take matters into their own hands, like the extreme instances of Kahan and Biersack's house visits.
Another likely reason for this, however, goes back to the previous point about the intimacy of social media, especially in the wake of uncertain times that can easily be traced back to the 2020 worldwide pandemic. Everyone, both celebrity and average, could relate to a common situation, and as a result, felt familiar instead of the superstars and far-off strangers many had viewed them pre-pandemic and in the wider world. For those starting on social media, particularly in high school, this comforting intimacy is what they were hooked in by and, due to the looping, consistent nature of social media, they may not properly disconnect from, leading to entitlement in some cases (something that has been frequently addressed within the live music scene in recent years).
Regardless of why it happens, the reality is, online our favourite artists may seem like warm friends we’ve known for years; however, in reality, they are average people with families, dreams and personal lives behind the make-up, glitter, and podcast snippets. Fame shouldn’t and doesn’t diminish an artist's real life; they should be allowed to step off the stage and live their lives as they want to, for we are just part of their lives, not their whole life. No one is entitled to a stranger, no matter who they are.
Jessica Draper-Mann
Image: Lyndsia
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