Boy George tells Chappell Roan to 'cheer up' after viral paparazzi confrontation: 'Own your fame'
Boy George tells Chappell Roan to 'cheer up' after viral paparazzi confrontation: 'Own your fame'
Ryan ColemanTue, March 10, 2026 at 11:23 PM UTC
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Boy George in 2019 and Chappell Roan on March 6Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty
Whether she wants to hear it or not, Boy George has some advice for his fellow pop star, Chappell Roan.
The "Good Luck, Babe!" singer recently went viral for confronting paparazzi and autograph-seekers who followed her to a Paris restaurant on Sunday, asking them "kindly to please leave me alone and stop following me and harassing me" before turning her own camera on them to show them "what it's like."
While surmising that his words were "probably not helpful," George nevertheless addressed the incident in a social media post on Tuesday.
"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 began.
Boy George on XCredit: Boy George/X
"I watched [Chappell Roan] filming the paps in Paris and I laughed because I have kicked off at them many times," the "Karma Chameleon" singer born George Alan O'Dowd continued.
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
"The trick is to own your fame," he explained. "Yes, it's annoying at times but so is being ignored and told your a 'has-been. Life is always now and I think Chappell looks great but cheer up girl. The world is at your feet stop kicking it! It takes so much more time to say no to a picture or a signature. Boundaries are boring. Break them with the magic of kindness!"
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Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Roan for comment.
Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Roan has recently emerged as one of the most critical voices on the claustrophobic and sometimes exploitative conditions of life in the public eye.
Since her meteoric rise to the top of the pop charts with songs like "Good Luck, Babe!" and "Hot to Go!," Roan has made waves for advocating on behalf of her fellow artists for a livable wage, clapping back at aggressive red carpet photographers, and calling out "creepy" fans who get too close.
Chappell Roan at Paris Fashion Week on March 7Credit: Dave Benett/Getty
As he pointed out, George is no stranger to fame, having released 19 studio albums as part of the band Culture Club and solo since 1987. He also launched a parallel career on reality television in the mid-2010s, appearing as a judge, contestant, or guest star on series like Project Runway All Stars, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, and The New Celebrity Apprentice.
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His recent words of advice for Roan were not his first public comment on her approach to fame. Last year, George remarked that he "was watching this thing the other day with [Roan] saying she won't have photos with fans. I went through periods like that but now I never, ever say no to a photograph unless I am on the toilet."
The musician reasoned, "What is the point of doing this unless you absolutely love it?"
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