Did Chappell Roan Fire Her Manager? The Drama Explained

When asked by Music Times why he clicked with Chappell Roan, her former manager, Nick Bobetsky, replied: "I am just generally really supportive in helping artists find their way, rather than shifting their direction according to my or anyone else's agenda." However, it seems this wasn't enough for the rising queer icon, as rumors began swirling in October 2024 that she had fired the man who'd managed her since 2018.

The music industry rumor mill quietly started turning when a tip from Hits Daily Double claimed that the split had been "confirmed by sources close to the story, though there's been no official word." Then, in an episode of the "Every Single Album" podcast released later that month, music mogul host Nathan Hubbard let slip that Roan had parted ways with Bobetsky at the Austin City Limits festival, where she performed her last emotional set of the year.

On the show, Hubbard likened the scene to "The Hunger Games," as "all these managers flew in to try to see her...and everybody's sort of trying to position themselves to, to climb up the ladder and try to work with her." Although Roan initially made no official word about her next steps, Hubbard did say: "I think she was selective and reached out with purpose to the people that she wanted to do this." NME confirmed the news that Roan had split from Bobetsky and his management company, State of the Art, on November 9, 2024.

By 2024, Chappell Roan, still very much a midwest princess, had earned her crown as a breakout star. Her debut album, aptly titled "The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess," saw her rise to new heights, triumphs and setbacks. Fans have seen glimpses of her frustrations with fame on TikTok, where she vented about being targeted by obsessive fans and rude journalists alike in public. This prompted a wave of online commentary, with many fans questioning her lack of apparent media training (via YouTube).

The "HOT TO GO!" singer also told Variety that due to her own queerness, she struggled while growing up in a Christian household. To escape this, she threw herself into her career at an early age, gaining traction as she posted covers on YouTube. This led to a record deal with Atlantic Records at just 17 and a stunning transformation for Roan herself, but while she toured with acts like Vance Joy and Declan McKenna, she admitted to feeling lost: "It happened so fast, and I just wasn't ready."

Roan was eventually dropped by Atlantic in 2020. Ex-manager Nick Bobetsky explained to Music Times (via Music Business Worldwide) that she was in the midst of a major artistic pivot, evolving into the drag-inspired performer she is now famous for. Bobetsky said of the record label split: "When an artist makes a real change like that, it can be hard for an existing partner to completely defer to the artist." With this dramatic managerial reshuffle, it begs the question: Did his insight here foreshadow his own eventual downfall?