Chappell Roan’s journey to becoming a Grammy-winning pop sensation is filled with bold colors, glitter, and the unapologetic embrace of queerness, but behind the flamboyant stage presence is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, a small-town girl from Willard, Missouri. At the heart of her story are two unwavering pillars of support: her parents, Dwight and Kara Amstutz.
They were young when they had her—just 23—and she was the first of their four children. Kara, a veterinarian, and Dwight, a registered nurse, raised their family in the conservative Midwest, where community expectations often dictated how women should behave. Despite this, they embraced their daughter’s artistic journey, even when it meant standing in the face of criticism from their peers.
Who Are Chappell Roan’s Parents, Dwight and Kara Amstutz?
Chappell Roan’s parents, Dwight and Kara Amstutz, have been unwavering supporters of her music and identity, despite growing up in a conservative community. Her father, a registered nurse, and her mother, a veterinarian, have stood by her through her rise to fame, even joining her in emotional moments like singing Pink Pony Club on Carpool Karaoke.
It wasn’t always an easy road. Roan—named after her grandfather’s favorite horse, Chappell, with “Roan” added for flair—was an angry and confused child. She later revealed that she struggled with bipolar II disorder, which added to the difficulties of growing up in a town where she felt like an outsider. But through it all, her parents supported her, whether it was helping her navigate childhood or encouraging her to pursue music.
When she signed with Atlantic Records in 2015 at just 17, releasing songs like Pink Pony Club, they were thrilled. And when the label dropped her in 2020, leaving her back at square one, they were there to pick up the pieces. She moved home and took a job as a barista, but they knew she wasn’t done.
Her mother, Kara, is the kind of mom who gives classic, old-school dating advice. “You can’t sleep with them until the third date. You can’t wear red lipstick because that means something,” Chappell Roan recalled during a concert, imitating her mom with a teasing affection. But as Roan later quipped, “Mom, I love you, but it doesn’t work like that when you’re dating a girl.”
Despite growing up in a religious and conservative environment, Kara has never wavered in her support for her daughter’s queerness. She has even been spotted at concerts, singing along with the crowds to Pink Pony Club. When she’s not cheering her daughter on, she’s busy running her veterinary practice, caring for animals with the same love she’s shown to Roan’s ever-growing fanbase.
Then there’s Dwight, her father, who might just be her biggest fan. The emotional high point of their relationship played out on Apple TV+’s Carpool Karaoke Christmas special in December 2024. As Chappell Roan and her parents belted out the lyrics to Pink Pony Club in the back of a festive SUV, Dwight wiped away tears. The song—about a young woman leaving her small town to embrace her true self in Los Angeles—clearly hit home.
“I think about this a lot and try not to get emotional about it,” he admitted. “What she has taught me as a father is respect for other people and all people. And that’s what I want people to understand. Everything that is about her is about loving everybody, and she has taught me that.”
OK here’s the video. pic.twitter.com/dEqAxX4CON
— icon (@IconicTimeline) December 16, 2024
The world saw another glimpse of Dwight’s love for his daughter in 2022 when Roan filmed the music video for Femininomenon in her childhood backyard. The video featured a bedazzled dirt bike—her father’s. “Thank you to my sweet father who let me bedazzle his dirt bike,” she posted online, a heartfelt nod to the little ways he’s always been there for her. It’s not just big, grand gestures that show his pride; it’s the everyday moments, the quiet reassurances, and the willingness to step outside his own comfort zone to celebrate his daughter’s identity.
But being the parents of a rising star hasn’t come without challenges. As Chappell Roan’s fame skyrocketed in 2024, their home in Missouri became an unintended target. A stalker showed up at their house, followed Roan to her hotel room, and even leaked Dwight’s personal phone number. “So now I have to have security,” Roan admitted in an interview. “It’s so lame.” The invasion of privacy was an unfortunate side effect of success, but it didn’t shake their family’s foundation.
Through the backlash, the scrutiny, and the sometimes difficult adjustments, Dwight and Kara have remained steadfast. They don’t always understand every part of Roan’s passionate, deliberately “tacky” pop persona, but they never let their personal concerns outweigh her happiness. “They just are really good at knowing that Chappell Roan is a character and Kayleigh is their daughter,” she said. That’s the heart of their support—not just for the pop star, but for the person behind the stage name.
Chappell Roan singing “Pink Pony Club” with her parents :’) #ACarpoolKaraokeChristmas pic.twitter.com/vNa6XOpLYc
— Chappell Roan Philippines (@chappellroanPH) December 16, 2024
Even as Chappell Roan collected her Best New Artist Grammy on February 3, 2025, a victory that solidified her status as pop’s newest queen, the love of her parents was palpable. It was in the way they had been there through the highs and the lows, the moments of self-doubt and the resounding triumphs. It was in the teary eyes of a father singing his daughter’s lyrics back to her, in the laughter of a mother who still offers dating advice even when her daughter has long since figured it out.
Through every note and every performance, Dwight and Kara Amstutz remain the original fans of the Midwest Princess, proving that even in a world of neon lights and drag queens, there’s nothing quite like the glow of a parent’s love.
