Who raped Alanis Morissette? Singer says she was raped at 15, claims no one heard her
Canadian singer Alanis Morissette has become the latest to speak out about being sexually abused as a minor. In a new HBO documentary, the singer claims she was raped numerous times at the age of 15, but she received little help when she came out. It's unclear if Morissette even wanted the story to come out. Reportedly, she's so upset with the documentary, she will boycott the premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
The stunning revelation comes just weeks after porn star Peter North was accused of rape by his wife Nadia, who also released an audiotape. 'Suicide Squad' actor Joel Kinnaman is currently facing an investigation by Swedish authorities, after accusations of rape by model Gabriella Magnusson. They are just some of the many celebrities facing accusations of rape, with the film and music industry now coming under immense scrutiny.
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Morissette previously went viral in April 2020, after she claimed "nearly every woman" in the music industry has been sexually harassed. At that time, there were rumors she too was a victim of sexual abuse but never confirmed them. Instead, the documentary 'Jagged' is the first time we hear about Morissette's past straight from her. Interestingly, despite making the rape claims public, it appears Morissette did not want anything to do with the documentary, adding another twist to the life of the Canadian star.
Who raped Alanis Morissette?
The revelations of rape were first made public by The Washington Post, which managed to get a preview of 'Jagged'. In the documentary, Morisette does not reveal the name of her rapists but does go into some pretty damning details about them. She claims she was raped at 15 before she became an international sensation. At the time, she was a TV and dance star, having appeared in five episodes of the Canadian teenage sketch comedy show 'You Can’t Do That On Television'.
The singer claims the fame that came with the TV show led to unwanted sexual advances and sexual abuse. "Almost every single person that I would work with, there would be some turning point where the camera would go Dutch angle," she claimed. Morissette added that it would "either end the relationship" or "then there’d be just some big secret that we’d keep forever."
The revelations appear about three-quarters of the way into the documentary, with Morissette saying, "I’m going to need some help because I never talk about this." She then opens up about her abuse, saying, "It took me years in therapy to even admit there had been any kind of victimization on my part. I would always say I was consenting, and then I’d be reminded like "Hey, you were 15, you’re not consenting at 15". Now I’m like, "Oh yeah, they’re all pedophiles. It’s all statutory rape"." She claimed she sought help, but no one was willing to listen. "I did tell a few people and it kind of fell on deaf ears. It would usually be a stand-up, walk-out-of-the-room moment," she said.
Morissette to boycott premiere
Directed by the award-winning documentarian Alison Klayman, 'Jagged' will first premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 13, followed by further shows on September 14,15,16, and 19. However, it will make its debut without its subject, who for some reason has decided not to show up, even though it is in Canada. "Of course I wish Alanis could be there. It was a privilege to make this film and I’m really proud of it. Hopefully, there will be other opportunities in the future for her to come to film events," Klayman said but did not delve into further details because she did not want to "speculate" on her feelings.
Morissette’s publicist, Dvora Englefield declined to comment on why the star would be absent, as did HBO and film festival organizers. Following its Toronto festival premiere, the film is also scheduled to be shown at Woodstock 2021 and the 2021 Heartland Film Festival. It will then makes its way to HBO Max, sometime later this year. The documentary "explores how Alanis came to be that empowered woman so many admire, and what happens when a 21-year-old becomes a worldwide phenomenon," according to Klayman's website. It was produced by Bill Simmons, founder of sports website The Ringer.