Gay TikToker goes viral after defending Chappell Roan: ‘Is she not allowed to set boundaries?’
Max Balegde (L) is a TikTok influencer with over 3 million followers. (Getty)
Gay TikToker Max Balegde has defended singer Chappell Roan after she recently complained about the behaviour of some of her fans.
Roan has shot to fame over the past year, performing to massive crowds at several festivals across North America. But recently, she shared a post on Instagram, asking people to “stop touching” her and to “stop being weird” to her family and friends.
“For the past 10 years, I’ve been going non-stop to build my project and it’s come to the point that I need to draw lines and set boundaries. I’ve wanted to be an artist for a very long time,” she said, telling fans that just because she chose to be a singer, it doesn’t mean she has to accept harassment.
“I don’t agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time or attention to people I do not know, do not trust, or who creep me out, just because they’re expressing admiration. Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
The “Good Luck, Babe” singer added that when she’s performing, she is “at work” but in “any other circumstances”, she is “clocked out”. She has previously spoken about how fame has left her feeling unsafe because of the inappropriate behaviour of some fans.
Now, influencer Balegde has defended Roan’s comments.
Posting a video on TikTok, he asked people to “think critically for a second” about how Roan is a young woman who has shot to fame “beyond anyone’s wildest dreams” and probably feels somewhat dazed by it.
“It’s overwhelming when people come over to you [who] you don’t know and ask for a picture, a video, and they stalk you… has anybody thought how that would feel for a second?” Baledge continued.
He spoke about how he has also been left feeling dumbfounded by people coming up to him in public, shouting at him across the street, and once even jumping on his back in the middle of a supermarket.
“She’s someone [who] is known for her art and gained relevance off the back of her music and I’m sure never expected or wanted that aspect of the job to be anything to do with her life, so is she not allowed to say that and set boundaries?”
Usually when someone said they were being stalked or harassed, people would feel sympathy but instead Roan has been criticised.
The video has over 1.2 million views at the time of writing, and the vast majority of the comments agree with his take on the situation. One top-rated response reads: “Having massive talent and pursuing your art shouldn’t mean that everyone is entitled to your time all the time.”
Why is Max Balegde famous?
Balegde rose to fame on TikTok, commenting on pop culture, sharing stories, giving his opinion on British politics and talking about the LGBTQ+ community. He started off posting videos that he “thought [were] funny” and found it “bizarre” that he ended up doing it as a full-time job.
He identifies as gay and is a strong advocate for the trans community, using his platform to raise awareness of political issues such as when former prime minister Rishi Sunak made “transphobic” comments at last year’s Conservative Party conference.
Although he still regularly posts on TikTok, Balegde has moved on to the world of presenting, interviewing celebrities such as Louis Theroux, Dwayne Johnson and Millie Bobby Brown. He also hosts his own podcast, The Useless Hotline.
Where did Max Balegde go to uni?
Balegde was born and grew up in Lancashire and is known on TikTok for his Northern accent and wit. He studied at Newcastle University and previously told the Lancashire Telegraph that he had planned to work in digital marketing.
Does Max Balegde have a boyfriend?
Balegde has been with his boyfriend Andrew, also a TikTok star, for three years.
The pair often appear in videos together and Andrew joined Balegde on his podcast tour. They were also spotted together at the Prince Trust’s Awards.
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