By: Ellie Simmers | Editor-in-Chief
Jim Dyson/Getty Images
On March 21, 2026, Brazilian soccer player Jorginho Frello accused singer Chappell Roan on Instagram of an incident at a São Paulo hotel where his wife and step-daughter, Ada Law, were allegedly harassed by what he described as Roan’s personal security after the child smiled and waved at Roan’s table.
This unfortunate event set off a chain of events that have spiraled out of control, with Roan being banned from performing at Todo Mundo no Rio, a series of international music megashows promoted by the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The day after the accusations, Roan responded on Instagram, denying any involvement.
She said, “No one came up to me. No one bothered me. I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel. I did not ask this security guard to go up to this woman and child. I do not hate fans of my music. I do not hate children. That is crazy.”
Yet, her explanation wasn’t enough for many, as some pointed out her past interactions with paparazzi and fans as evidence that she must be capable of such behavior.
Since then, the bodyguard in question, Pascal Duvier, publicly addressed the situation, stating that he was not on Roan’s security team and was at the hotel on behalf of another individual.
“I made a judgment call based on information we obtained from the hotel, events I had witnessed in the days prior and the heightened overall security risk of our location,” said Duvier, taking full responsibility for the interaction.
Now, as the dust begins to settle, I am still trying to wrap my head around how this incident escalated into such a massive public frenzy.
I enjoy Chappell Roan’s music and have even seen her perform live before. I understand that it is uncomfortable for many to accept a celebrity who demands privacy and personal space. In a world where fans have come to expect constant access, that boundary can seem mean and foreign.
I don’t believe Chappell Roan sent a bodyguard to harass a child. But if she did, that was a strange and cruel choice. What truly astounds me is the relentless hate and harassment she has faced, not just for this incident but for speaking out about how the media treats famous people.
Unlike many of her peers, like Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo, Roan rose to fame seemingly overnight without theDisney Channel or Nickelodeon background that has often prepared young stars for celebrity life.
The stark contrast between how Chappell Roan, a queer woman, and Justin Bieber, a straight man, have been treated by the public as a result of their altercations with paparazzi could not be more glaring.
When Bieber famously snapped at paparazzi in 2025, with the now-famous meme, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?,” the internet largely sided with him. While I can imagine this was not what Bieber wanted people to take away from this invasion of privacy, it didn’t hurt his career.
I can’t say whether Chappell Roan is a good person, nor can anyone participating in this discourse. I can’t imagine how I would act under the pressures and constant surveillance that celebrities experience. I know how easy it can be to get sucked into an online frenzy about a celebrity doing something different or uncomfortable.
It has since emerged that some of the online discourse around this incident in São Paulo was fueled by bots, according to Gudea, a platform that found that “non-typical” users accounted for 23% of over 100,000 posts.
In the age of AI deepfakes, bots interacting with bots online, and the monetization of cancel culture, it is getting increasingly difficult to form an independent, clear opinion.
It is more important than ever to check your sources, not jump to conclusions, and realize that not every online account has a human behind it.
Whether Chappell Roan is evil and hates her fans or is overwhelmed and just wants space, she is a person, and just like Ada Law, she deserves to be treated with respect.
