Pop star Olivia Rodrigo recently shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon a very surreal moment when border control officers thought she was “Olivia Rodriguez,“ a criminal in their books. Weirdly enough, this incident happened on her Guts world tour- an already freaky reason for international travel if she were actually such a person.
Rodrigo said she was briefly detained by police who mistook her for the other similarly named woman. Things only got hairy because police thought “Olivia Rodriguez” was a dead ringer for the performer.
“It was the first time I’ve ever been in trouble with the law, and I was so scared,”
she said. Rodrigo confessed that her nerves got the better of her during the interrogation and caused her to have a panic attack. After some heavy questioning, she was eventually free to go.
Still, Rodrigo could share the story with humor as she sat down to chat with Fallon. Staidly relatable and candid, she made light of how absurd and forget-me-not it all had been because of the confusion over her name. Her laid-back attitude and playful tone showed how she’s learned to embrace life on tour.
Although, the episode was not heavy on seriousness as a whole. Rodrigo joined Fallon in the viral hit segment “Singing Whisper Challenge,” where she sang Miley Cyrus‘ hit “Flowers” while Fallon attempted to decipher the words from her lip movements. The moment was light-hearted, but it generated mixed responses online, with views pointing out that she delivered relaxed vocals.
However, for many fans, the game was light-heartedness embraced, an opportunity to see Rodrigo in a different light than that of a formal performance.
Rodrigo also shared other mishaps on her tour, like when she fell through the stage in Melbourne.
“I just disappeared through a trap door,”
she quipped. The mishap led to another important hospital visit, where she met a nurse who reminded her of her late grandfather—a touching moment that provided a second of calm in the madness of touring life.
In another touching moment, Rodrigo speaks of a very close friendship with fellow artist Chappell Roan, who lends backup vocals to Guts. Their history is solid: their bond is indeed born out of their common love of music—and doughnuts. Lifting the friendship brings a personal lift to make her latest album even more enriching and collaborative in spirit.
One of the other revelations in the interview was Rodrigo’s reaction to her six Grammy nominations for Guts. She was grateful and appreciative of the recognition, given that this album has been a very personal one. She later reflected on one of the tour’s highlights in the Philippines. Rodrigo, in her element, did not forget to request affordable tickets so her fans could enjoy the concert there.
Rodrigo’s Tonight Show tales run the gamut from the ups and downs of life on the road, from the inadvertently comic falls and emotional hospital visits to the elated collaborations with friends and onscreen playfulness. With Grammy nods under her belt and unforgettable fan experiences along the way, Rodrigo’s Guts world tour proved she is a star when it comes to deep connections with her audience.
