Lionel Richie dished out blunt advice for the next generation of stars as Chappell Roan faces backlash over her own fan drama — and his message couldn’t be clearer: if you don’t like people, fame isn’t for you.
The 76-year-old “Hello” hitmaker broke down the biggest mistake artists make when chasing the spotlight during a chat with his son-in-law, Joel Madden, on the VEEPS Artist Friendly podcast
“There’s one thing you didn’t calculate,” Richie said. “I hope you like people.”
“Because if you don’t like people, here’s how it’s going to sound. You spend the first half of your career going, ‘Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.’ And then you finally get famous. ‘Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me.’”
Roan, 28, has been under fire after a string of fan-related controversies, including resurfaced comments in which she called some supporters “weird” and “creepy,” along with a reported incident in Brazil where a young fan was allegedly confronted by a bodyguard after spotting the singer at a hotel.
For Richie, that switch-up is where stars go wrong.
“The universe gave you what you asked for,” he said. “You want to be famous and rich without the people? It doesn’t work like that. You have to be able to engage.”
Madden, who’s married to Richie’s daughter Nicole Richie, says he’s watched that philosophy play out in real life for years.
“I see you acknowledge people,” Madden said, recalling how Richie greets fans even in everyday situations, such as when the “Dancing on the Ceiling” singer is walking through a restaurant.
Instead of avoiding eye contact, Richie leans in. “Hi, how are you?” he’ll say — even if the fan hasn’t worked up the nerve to speak first.
It’s something even his own kids have questioned. Why go out of your way?
For Richie, the answer is simple. “I was invisible once,” he said. “They want to say something to you. And you can see it on their face. They want to say something. And for me to ignore them, would be the worst.”
Good Charlotte singer Madden admitted he had to learn that mindset over time, recalling how he used to get irritated by people staring — until he realized they were just shy.
Now, he says Richie’s reputation follows him everywhere. “Your father-in-law was here — he’s the best,” people constantly tell him in airports, hotels, and venues.
But Richie warned that kind of word-of-mouth cuts both ways.
“Without social media, without anything we have of new technology. You know what travels fast? That guy was a freaking d–k,” he said.
‘I always relate it to planting seeds. When you plant f–k you seeds, you get f–k you flowers. Nothing grows. So, if you plant a career of f–k you flowers, it’s coming back to haunt you.’
The timing of Richie’s comments comes as Roan finds herself under intense scrutiny over her own interactions with fans.
The “Pink Pony Club” singer has defended herself in the past, arguing that fame shouldn’t open the door to invasive behavior like being followed, shouted at, or approached unexpectedly in public.
More recently, soccer star Jorginho claimed his 11-year-old stepdaughter Ada was left shaken after an alleged encounter with a bodyguard when she spotted Roan at a hotel in Brazil.
His wife Catherine Harding, who shares the child with Jude Law, said the guard berated them after the girl simply walked past the singer’s table.
Roan has said she was unaware of the incident, and her team insists she has “zero tolerance” for that kind of behavior. The bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, has also denied wrongdoing.
In a resurfaced video, Roan vented her frustration with fan behavior, admitting she struggles with the realities of fame — including strangers approaching her for photos or yelling at her from passing cars.
“If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? Would you harass her in public?” she said in the video.
‘Would you go up to a random lady and say, ‘Can I get a photo with you?’ Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time? Would you stalk her family? Would you follow her around?”
Still, the situation has fueled debate about how stars handle fame — and whether attitude can make or break a career.
“It takes you five seconds to say, ‘Hey, thanks’ or ‘How you doing?’” he said. “That’s it.”
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