After a viral dig at Chappell Roan, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 contestant Plane Jane tried to make amends by impersonating the artist at the VMAs. But Jane’s behavior during the night has drawn sharp criticism from across the Chappell fandom.
On Wednesday, Jane showed up at VMAs decked out in a bedazzled pink cowgirl outfit with white makeup and a red wig as a clear homage to Roan. The look comes months after Jane took to X/Twitter to dismiss Roan’s support of drag (which includes uplifting local drag acts on her tour) as “performative.” In the ensuing backlash, Jane deleted the tweet and has since declared her love for Roan.
While Jane’s homage to Roan might have passed for a peace offering, her next stunt threw that olive branch right onto the fire. During a photoshoot with queens Morphine Love Dion, Xunami Muse, Megami, Dawn, Nymphia, and Amanda Tori Meating, Jane pointedly hid herself from the cameras, evidently poking fun at Roan’s recent statement on boundaries.
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Last month, Roan posted a series of videos denouncing toxic fan behavior—which, to be clear, has included a random fan kissing her full on the mouth. “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous, whatever,” she said. “I don’t care that it’s normal. I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen.”
“That does not make it OK, that doesn’t make it normal,” she continued. “That doesn’t mean that I want it, that doesn’t mean that I like it.”
RelatedRoan’s viral response to a rude photographer could be ushering in a new era for celebrities.Viewers weren’t happy with the disconnect between Perry’s super straight lyrics and suggestively sapphic dance moves.
As a result, many fans were turned off by Jane making light of Roan’s boundaries against stalking and harassment.
Since the VMAs, Jane has maintained that she went into it with good intentions, given her previous comments on Roan. “Well, I actually, sort of wanted to redeem myself in the eyes of Chappell stans, and show that I’m one of them,” Plane told Out in a red carpet interview. “I am obsessed with Chappell Roan. I live and breathe, and inject Chappell Roan straight into my veins.”
“I just wanted to pay homage to this classic Chappell Roan look,” Jane added. “The song ‘Pink Pony Club,’ it’s really about the queer community. It’s about drag. And it’s a love letter to drag. So I’m just here repping the queen.”