Alanis Morissette makes statutory rape claims in new documentary ‘Jagged’
Content warning: This story contains discussion and descriptions of sexual abuse
Alanis Morissette has claimed that she was raped when she was 15 years old in a new HBO documentary called Jagged.
The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this week (September 13), although the musician will reportedly not attend the event.
In the documentary, Morissette reportedly discusses multiple instances of rape when she was a teenager. “It took me years in therapy to even admit there had been any kind of victimisation on my part,” she said in the film, according to the Washington Post.
“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 paedophiles. It’s all statutory rape’.”
The star did not reveal the identity of her alleged abusers and said she had previously told “a few people” about her claims but that “it kind of fell on deaf ears”. “It would usually be a stand-up, walk-out-of-the-room moment,” she said.
Morissette continued: “You know a lot of people say ‘why did that woman wait 30 years? And I’m like fuck off. They don’t wait 30 years. No one was listening or their livelihood was threatened or their family was threatened.
“The whole ‘why do women wait’ thing? Women don’t wait. Our culture doesn’t listen.”
Jagged was directed by Alison Klayman and will be broadcast by HBO following its TIFF premiere. The film looks back at the Canadian star’s life and career.
Last year, Morissette spoke about the importance of therapy in her life, saying: “If I didn’t have a whole team of therapists throughout my life, I don’t think I’d still be here.”