Fans split on Chappell Roan appearance with Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana special
Chappell Roan makes a surprise appearance in the new “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” praising Miley Cyrus for being a trailblazer for young artists.
But the timing, just a few days after Roan was involved in a highly publicized drama concerning a child fan in Brazil, has fans conflicted about the appearance.
On Wednesday, the security guard involved issued a statement about the incident. The original confrontation led to scathing criticism of the “Pink Pony Club” star, to the point of people probing and questioning her upbringing in Willard, Missouri and comparing her fan interactions to Taylor Swift.
The controversy began after the security guard allegedly spoke aggressively to 11-year-old Ada Law after she walked past Roan’s table and glanced at the singer during breakfast in a Sao Paulo hotel.
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.
The incident took on a life of its own after Ada’s mother and stepfather issued social media statements blaming Roan for the interaction. Ada is the daughter of British actor Jude Law and stepdaughter of Brazilian soccer player Jorginho.
Roan defended herself in an Instagram story, saying she didn’t even know it had happened and that the guard was not a member of her security detail, which he verified on Wednesday.
“I do not normally address online rumors, but the accusations currently circulating are false and constitute defamation.” the security guard, Pascal Duvier, wrote in the Instagram post, five days after the run-in.
He said he was not working for Roan and took “full responsibility” for the interaction.
“I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan,” he wrote. “The actions I took were not on behalf of Chappell Roan, her personal security team, her management, or any other individuals.
“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.
“My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.”
Jorghino had described that the encounter left Ada “extremely shaken” and in tears, which gave rise to fans criticizing Roan for being unkind to children.
In a statement to The Daily Mail on Monday, a Roan spokesperson said the singer has “zero tolerance” for aggressive behavior toward fans.
The drama, though, seems to have spilled over onto Roan’s surprise appearance in the Hannah Montana special, filmed before the Brazil incident.
In a pre-taped segment in the special, which debuted Tuesday on Disney+, Roan tells Cyrus she used to watch “Hannah Montana” at her grandfather’s house.
“You literally walked so I can run. What I do on stage, where I can go on a red carpet and just be,” Roan told her.
“You took a lot of the heat for that in 2012, 2013. I don’t have to deal with that as much because you really — the world took it out on you. To see you be the artist you are, to be able to do this just shows your heart and your appreciation for your younger self and what got you here.”
According to People, when that scene played during the show’s premiere in L.A. on Monday — just a few days after the incident in Brazil — awkward laughs and “ughs” were heard in the audience.
Cyrus will receive the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards Thursday. Taylor Swift will make an appearance as well.
No word on whether Roan will be there. Her hit, “Pink Pony Club,” is nominated for Pop Song of the Year along with Swift’s “Fate of Ophelia.”
Beginning at 7 p.m. CST, the show will broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. It will also air live on iHeartRadio stations and on the iHeartRadio app.
.jpg)