Eric Benet is calling out celebrity behavior in real time, zeroing in on what he sees as a lack of respect for the very people who made that fame possible.
In a March 24 Instagram Reel, the R&B singer didn’t mince words about public figures who brush off supporters in everyday encounters. “One of my biggest pet peeves… are those public figures or celebrities who lack the grace to just take a picture with your fan,” Benet said, adding that even a small acknowledgment can go a long way. “Or just say hello. Or just acknowledge them if they see you on the street.”
Benet framed the issue as bigger than a quick interaction, pointing to the relationship between artists and their audience. “If you are so inconvenienced by somebody acknowledging you… somebody who adores you, somebody who has patronized your business,” he said, before criticizing those who dismiss fans outright. “I can’t stand y’all… that shame people who adore you.”
The comments arrive as conversations around celebrity accessibility and accountability continue to pick up online. A recent situation involving singer Chappell Roan has added fuel to that discussion.
Catherine Harding, who is married to Brazilian soccer player Jorginho, shared her account of a hotel encounter in São Paulo involving her 11-year-old daughter. According to Harding, her daughter briefly tried to confirm Roan’s presence but did not approach or interact.
“She didn’t have her phone, she didn’t try to take a picture… she literally didn’t do anything,” Harding said in a March 22 Instagram video.
She alleged that a man believed to be associated with Roan approached them in a “very aggressive tone,” accusing the child of being disrespectful and threatening to escalate the situation.
Roan later addressed the incident, denying any involvement. “I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child. I did not,” she wrote, adding that she “didn’t even see a woman and a child.” She also acknowledged the situation shouldn’t have escalated, noting it was “unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions.”
While Benet did not name anyone in his video, his broader point centered on the responsibility that comes with visibility. “They’ve allowed you to have this global access. They’ve allowed you to have this wealth,” he said, emphasizing the role fans play in an artist’s success. “Less than half of a percent of the world is able to experience [that].”
He closed with a reminder of how small those fan interactions really are in the grand scheme. “All they want is for you to just see them for two seconds,” Benet said.