Chappell Roan — who faced a dayslong backlash online for her recent comments about the November presidential election — announced Friday that she is dropping out of the All Things Go music festivals.
The pop star, 26, was scheduled to perform at the festival Saturday in New York City, and Sunday in Columbia, Maryland. In a statement on her Instagram story, Roan apologized to fans, saying that “things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks.”
“I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health,” she wrote. “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible. Thank you for understanding.”
All Things Go issued its support for Roan, saying in a statement on X that “health and well-being always comes first.”
“All Things Go strongly supports artists prioritizing their well-being and we ask our community to rally behind Chappell Roan with love and understanding,” the festival wrote in its statement, sharing a screenshot of Roan’s Instagram story. “Let’s continue to show the world that music fans support not only the art, but the artists themselves.”
Since catapulting to fame — and the top of the charts — in recent months, Roan has been vocal about the toll of fame on her mental health. In August, she called out fans for taking their “creepy” behavior too far, saying she and some of her family members have been stalked and harassed as a result of her fame. She told The Guardian in an interview published earlier this month that she was recently diagnosed with severe depression. She has also publicly discussed her experience with bipolar II disorder.
Roan has also not shied away from sharing her political views. In June, during a performance at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City, she revealed that she had rejected an invitation to perform at the White House.
In the past week, Roan faced intense backlash online for her refusal to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. She was also criticized for remarking that there were issues on “both sides” in the Guardian profile, in which she also encouraged people to “vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”
On Wednesday, Roan posted a TikTok sharing that she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in November. But she clarified that “endorsing and voting are completely different.” Roan cited the war in Gaza and transgender issues as shortcomings of the Democratic Party in her video.
She ended her TikTok video by encouraging her fans to vote for whoever they believe is “the best option for what we have right now.”
On Friday, some fans expressed disappointment that Roan pulled out of the festival with short notice.
Others expressed their support for her decision, and criticized people who dogpiled her because of her political views, which they believed caused her to cancel her performances.
Roan has more shows scheduled in October, including one in Franklin, Tennessee, on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Roan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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