Chappell Roan sparks major backlash following controversial parenthood remarks
Last week, Grammy award-winning singer Chappell Roan sparked a seriously heated debate online after making what some people have perceived as a seriously controversial comment on parenthood.
The 27-year-old 'Casual' star appeared on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast last Wednesday (26 March), where she shared that most of her pals from her home state of Missouri had already settled down and had children - which was something Chappell said she personally wasn't too interested in.
Speaking candidly about how this had affected her, the hit-maker revealed that seeing her friend with their children made her question whether or not she wanted to be a mum someday as the parents she knows personally didn't appear to particularly enjoy it.
What did Chappell Roan say about parenthood?
"All of my friends who have kids are in hell," Chappell told Alex.
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"I actually don’t know anyone who’s happy and has children at this age… I’ve literally not met anyone who’s happy, anyone who has light in their eyes, who has slept."
She also shared that she is the oldest of four siblings and that her mum had her at 22, noting her wonder at how she managed.
Why are critics saying about Chappell Roan's remarks?
Her comments clearly seriously triggered parents online, with many subsequently rushing to social media to share their gripes.
One TikTok user hit out: "I am butt-hurt and offended at Chappell Roan’s comment about she has never met a mother who is happy in her age group because I’m in her age group, and I am a mother, and I am so happy.
"It’s all a bit of a sting, I’m not gonna lie, and lowkey, it’s misogynistic as well. It really devalues the role of motherhood."
Another slammed: "That clip actually makes me emotional to listen to its so frustrating.
"So, hi, if you’ve never seen one, here she is: A young mom of three children that didn’t get any sleep last night that’s happy, life in her eyes, and joy in her heart."
What are fans saying to defend Chappell Roan?
It's important to note, however, that the avalanche of defensive responses from outraged mothers which saw many accuse Chappell of specifically calling out mothers clearly disregarded the fact that she never actually singled out mothers in her comments.
In the podcast, she quite literally said her opinions were formed based on her friends who have kids - which would presumably include parents of all genders, not just mums.
Additionally, as many of Chappell's fans have pointed out in defence of her, she was very clearly only speaking about the experience of people she knows in real life.
One fan wrote on TikTok: "If it doesn’t apply to these mums then why are they getting so upset, getting on here and trying to 'prove' how happy they are."
"She isn’t talking about YOUR experience though? If it doesn’t apply to you then cool!" pointed out a second while a third chimed in: "The ones who got triggered are the ones pretending they're happy."
Another highlighted: "Ok. Happy mum here. Nothing she said bothers me. It doesn’t apply to me. And she’s allowed to have an opinion. I don’t understand the rage."
And a final TikTok user put forward the argument that the main reason why people are so up in arms over Chappell's comments is due to the fact she bravely 'exposed the greatest lie ever told'.
"If you're angry at people for choosing a child free life, you need to do a bit of soul searching and figure out where you went wrong," they explained. "Society lies to women all the time, and every time one of us exposes that lie to the light of day, the ones who fell for it start to kick out in an effort to convince themselves and others that the status quo must continue.
"It's okay for women to decide not to have kids, it's okay for them to talk about it and it's okay for you to just let people live their lives."
Topics: Celebrity, Instagram, Parenting, Pregnancy, Social Media, TikTok, Sex and Relationships, Podcasts
Rhiannon Ingle