Lionel Richie has offered some scathing advice to the next generation of stars as Chappell Roan faces the brunt of his fan drama – and his message couldn’t be clearer: if you don’t love people, fame isn’t for you.
The 76-year-old “Sawubona” singer broke down the biggest mistake artists make when they go public during an interview with her son-in-law, Joel Madden, on the VEEPS Artist Friendly podcast.
“There’s one thing you didn’t count,” said Richie. “I hope you love people.”
“Because if you don’t like people, this is what it will sound like, you spend the first part of your career saying, ‘Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.’ And finally you become famous. ‘Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me.’”
Roan, 28, has been frustrated after several fan-related controversies, including comments in which he also called his fans “weird” and “scary,” and a reported incident in Brazil where a young fan allegedly confronted a security guard after seeing the singer at a hotel.
For Richie, that changes when the stars are out of alignment.
He said: “The whole world has given you what you asked for. “Do you want to be famous and rich without people? It doesn’t work like that. You have to be able to get involved.”
Madden, who is married to Richie’s daughter Nicole Richie, says he has watched this philosophy play out in real life for years.
“I see you acknowledge people,” Madden said, recalling how Richie greeted fans even in everyday situations, like when the “Dancing on the Ceiling” singer walked by a restaurant.
Instead of avoiding eye contact, Richie enters. “Hello, how are you?” you will say – even if the follower hasn’t worked up the courage to speak first.
It is something that has been asked even by his children. Why do you go out of your way?
For Richie, the answer is simple. “I used to be invisible,” he said. “They want to say something to you. And you can see it in their faces. They want to say something. And if I ignore them, it would be worse.”
The beautiful Charlotte Madden singer admitted she had to learn that mindset over time, recalling how she used to get annoyed by people staring at her – until she realized they were shy.
Now, he says Richie’s shadow follows him everywhere. “Your father-in-law was here — he’s the best,” people always tell him at airports, hotels and playgrounds.
But Richie cautioned that word-of-mouth cuts both ways.
“Without social media, without any of the new technology we have. You know what’s going fast? That guy was an amazing dk,” he said.
‘I always associate it with planting seeds. If you plant f–k seeds, you get f–k flowers. Nothing is growing. So, if you plant flowers in your f–k career, it will come back to haunt you.’
The timing of Richie’s comments comes as Roan finds himself in the spotlight for his interactions with fans.
The “Pink Pony Club” singer has previously defended herself, saying that fame should not lead to aggressive behavior such as being followed, yelled at, or suddenly approached in public.
Recently, soccer star Jorginho said his 11-year-old adopted daughter Ada was left reeling after being confronted with allegations that a security guard was seeing Roan at a hotel in Brazil.
His wife Catherine Harding, who shares a child with Jude Law, said the security guard yelled at them after the girl just walked past the singer’s table.
Roan said he was unaware of the incident, and his team insists it has “zero tolerance” for that type of behavior. The security guard, Pascal Duvier, also denied wrongdoing.
In a resurfaced video, Roan expressed his frustration with fans’ behaviour, admitting he struggles with the realities of fame – including strangers coming up to him for photos or yelling at him from passing cars.
“If you just see a woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? Would you abuse her in public?” he said in the video.
‘You can go to a woman who just says, ‘Can I have a picture with you?’ Would you be upset if he refuses your time because he has his own time? Can you sew for his family? Can you follow him?”
Still, the situation has fueled a debate about how stars handle fame – and how attitude can make or break a career.
“It takes five seconds to say, ‘Hey, thank you’ or ‘How are you?'” he said. “That’s all.”
