Chappell Roan is becoming a household name in modern pop music, with songs and performances that captivate audiences around the world. The rising star won Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards just last month, and in 2024, was awarded Top New Artist by Billboard with several songs climbing the charts. 

Today, Chappell Roan is most well-known for her drag queen- inspired aesthetic, her songs that tell stories, and her playful, theatrical concerts that embrace self-expression and inclusivity. The artist creates music that is inspired by real events, that uplifts and resonates with listeners, and, most importantly, that stays true to her fun-loving and silly self.

But it’s taken her some time to get here. Chappell Roan’s artistic journey started at 17 years old, when she signed her first label, but it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that her fame really soared. And when it took off, it really took off—in just a matter of months. On top of having to adjust to stardom fast, Roan was soon getting pummeled by harassment from fans, including incidences of stalking and other “creepy” behaviors. With her new platform to stand on, though, Chappell Roan decided to vocalize her struggles, her uncomfortability, and her mental health concerns.

For example, she shared that she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder in 2020, and has been open when she’s having hard days. She’s outright canceled performances to take care of her mental health.

So, let’s dive deep into Chappell Roan’s mental health journey over the years.

The emergence of bipolar disorder

Chappell Roan, who was born Kayleigh Amstutz, grew up in a small town in Missouri, surrounded by a very conservative community. She was the first of four children, and raised by her parents who were 23 and in college at the time of her birth. Roan admits she was miserable during her childhood and was very difficult for her parents to raise, describing herself as angry, depressed, defiant, emotional, manipulative, and mean. She would constantly get in trouble, talk back, and push boundaries.

At the time, her parents just tried their best, unaware that these behaviors could be indicative of deeper-seated mental health struggles. Fortunately, Kayleigh did have outlets to channel her anger as a teen: getting outdoors, making art, running cross-country, and, of course, songwriting and music. 

After decades of frustration and not understanding why she felt so sad and angry, Chappell Roan was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. At 22 years old, she was able to put a name to her struggles. Bipolar II disorder is a mental health condition that’s characterized by periods of hypomania and episodes of major depression. It presents itself as heightened energy and mood, impulsiveness, and an inability to sleep, followed by periods of persistent sadness and worthlessness. 

This diagnosis came in 2020, the same year that Chappell Roan was dropped from her first record label, lost her career and financial independence, ended a four-year relationship, and felt more lost than ever before. She began attending therapy with her family in efforts to heal. “It saved us,” she recalls.

The ups and downs of bipolar disorder

While she gives a lot of credit to family therapy, Chappell Roan continued to experience the ups and downs of her diagnosis. Without a label and career, for example, Roan worked alongside friends to produce music independently in the summer of 2021. She did this during a period of hypomania, in which her mood and energy levels were extremely high. “I wasn’t sleeping,” she said, and “I was on the incorrect meds.”

In 2022, Roan entered therapy again. She had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and drew-up a suicide plan. That’s when she knew she hit a new low, telling Rolling Stone: “I realized I can’t live like this. I can’t live being so depressed or feel so lost that I want to kill myself.” 

Roan is grateful she got this help then, before her sudden rise to fame in 2024. “I would not have been able to handle any of this even a year ago today. It would’ve just been too much.”

How fame has taken a toll on Chappell Roan’s mental health

Since her success has skyrocketed, Chappell Roan admits she’s been living in a state of overwhelm. What takes years for many celebrities took a mere five months for Roan to accomplish. While grateful for being able to pursue her dream job, she also feels she’s letting herself and others down. “My brain is so scattered, and I just don’t feel like myself,” she told Rolling Stone.

When a fan asked Roan about her mental health routine, she didn’t yet have clarity. “My life is completely different now, so my mental health routine is … like, everything is out of whack right now.” In the past, Roan explained that she’d go to bed on time, limit her time spent online, spend time with friends, and make sure to get outside. But even going outside “is different now” that she’s famous.

“Nothing about my life is like me anymore. I feel like I just let myself down so much because I’m not how I used to be,” she told Rolling Stone.

In September 2024, Roan cancelled two festival performances within a day’s notice to prioritize her health. During a concert in June that same year, Chappell Roan paused to tell her fans, “I just feel a little off today because I think that my career is going really fast and it’s really hard to keep up.” As of late 2024, Roan was attending outpatient therapy twice per week.

Chappell Roan is an advocate for mental health

For years, Chappell Roan has been transparent about her mental health. Along with artists like Halsey, Demi Lovato, Noah Kahan, and Selena Gomez, Chappell Roan has become a force in normalizing conversations around mental health, allowing her fanbase to relate and share their experiences, too. 

And like any person struggling, she too needs days to recover and recharge. Taking breaks like Roan does is important for preventing burnout, exhaustion, and severe mental health episodes down the road. Mental health days are “sick days,” too, deserved by anyone who is struggling and needing support, space, regulation, and restitution—including celebrities.

In addition to encouraging others’ to talk about mental health, Chappell Roan also inspires others to have fun and stay true to who they are, no matter what. Her music is meant to provide safe and judgement-free spaces where listeners can let out their true selves—Roan told People in September 2023, “I think that people just want to be happy and reflect, sing, dance and dress up, and feel free. The project gives people an opportunity to express themselves without judgment and freedom to discover themselves in the same way that I feel like the project allows me to discover myself.”

Chappell Roan is an incredible advocate for mental health, using her platform to share her story (the ups and the downs) and her concerns with the world. To learn more about bipolar disorder, which also affects celebrities like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, you can click here. 

You may also contact Turnbridge for support. Turnbridge is a recognized mental health treatment center for adolescents and young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. Call us at 877-581-1793 today.