Cancel culture is prominent today just as it was during the quarantine days of 2020. Friday, March 13, marked the six-year anniversary of the COVID-19 quarantine, and it seems like remembering grocery shortages and mask-wearing was not all the internet was doing.
Welcome back to “Trendestter,” where I take a deep dive into pop culture’s most recent trends. Today’s issue will discuss recent celebrities that have been “canceled,” but in different ways and for different reasons than they might have been scrutinized for in 2020.
Whipped coffee — a popular quarantine treat made from instant coffee, sugar and water — recipes and the romanticization of teen life, typically overly saturated images of baggy jeans and Nike Air Force 1 sneakers, are not the only 2020 reminders circulating social media lately. Cancel culture is back in full swing (if it ever left).
However, today, actors and singers are being canceled as opposed to influencers and social media personalities. While there may be no lengthy apology videos, like those from beauty influencer James Charles’ or internet comedian Colleen Ballinger (who portrays the character Miranda Sings), fans are angry.
Two names will be the focus of this analysis: Timothée Chalamet and Chappell Roan.
In the past, influencers were typically canceled for the use of offensive language and slurs, hidden endorsements and even for posting disturbing photos or videos. That is not what is going on with Chalamet or Roan, though.
Chalamet is an American actor known for his roles in films like “Call Me By Your Name” (2017), “Wonka” (2023) and most recently, “Marty Supreme” (2025). Since the beginning of the “Marty Supreme” press tour in late 2025, Chalamet’s behavior in interviews became noticeably different than before. He was met with backlash almost immediately for what The Parade called “perceived arrogance” in an article published on Dec. 22, 2025.
Variety in collaboration with CNN posted a video conversation between actors Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey on Feb. 24 that catalyzed further backlash toward Chalamet. In the video, Chalamet said, “And I don’t wanna be working in ballet or opera,” and adds “no one cares about this anymore.” He quickly followed up with “all respect to ballet and opera people out there.” But this was not enough for many.
Top comments under the original video read “When no one remembers Timothée Chalamet, Mozart and Tchaikovsky will still be working their magic” by user @themusicprofessor, “Support your local theaters people” by @kittymarch4203 and “Every time he opens his mouth, it becomes clearer that he doesn’t really love art. He loves the attention and praise he gets” by @Gerogia-Higgins.
In similar fashion, pop singer Roan is facing rehashed backlash surrounding her character. Roan has a long history of speaking out on her privacy and distaste for paparazzi, which sparked controversy in the past.
Brazilian-born Italian soccer player Jorginho took to Instagram on Saturday, March 21, to express his discontent toward Roan and her security team after an alleged incident with his daughter. Roan and Jorginho’s 11-year-old daughter were staying at the same hotel in Brazil at the time of the alleged situation.
According to an article published by People on March 24, Jorginho said, “She simply walked past the singer’s table, looked to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything.”
Roan defended herself on her own Instagram Story, sharing her side of the incident, and later posting “I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children. Like, that is crazy,” according to People. Fans and social media users are showing similar reactions to Roan as they did to Chalamet with comments like “SHAKIRA WOULDNT HAVE DONE THAT!!!” and a GIF that read “Trash” on her pinned promotion post for her single “The Subway,” which was originally shared on July 28, 2025.
Conan O’Brien poked fun at Chalamet during his opening monologue at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, with comments like “Security is extremely tight tonight,” followed by “I’m told there’s concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.” Will Roan get similar treatment at future award shows? Only time will tell if these celebrities are permanetly canceled or not.