Alanis Morissette claims she was sexually assaulted by several men when she was 15-years-old. The Canadian pop star revealed the horrific incident in a new documentary at The Toronto International Film Festival, which is currently underway.
The singer states she is not going to promote the documentary that is made in conjunction with HBO because she is allegedly “unhappy” with the doc for unspecified reasons. The film, titled Jagged takes a look into the singer’s life through an interview conducted in her L.A. home.
It was directed by documentarian Alison Klayman and chronicles her beginning in the industry and highlights how she broke barriers for women in music.
Wasn’t All Good
Just a little over halfway through the doc, the singer shared that the industry is very predatory for women, and she knows first hand. “I’m going to need some help because I never talk about this,” nots the singer before diving into her trauma.
“It took me years in therapy to even admit there had been any kind of victimization on my part,” she also pointed out that these were grown men who should have known better but chalks it up to them just being predators.
“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.”
Taken Advantage Of
While she admitted to consenting to the sexual interactions, she pointed out that at 15, consent is never really consenting, especially when adults are involved. It is unclear who Morissette is referring to because she did not name anyone specifically.
At the time, it was the 80s and the singer was working on demos with Geffen Records. This was long before she released her Grammy-winning album Jagged Little Pill in 1995. Again, she was not specific about who she was working with over at Geffen but the singer admits the experience left her unsure.
Reached Out For Help
The “You Oughta Know” singer did ask for help in her own way but it clearly did not make a difference. “I did tell a few people and it kind of fell on deaf ears.” She pointed out that it would prompt a “stand-up, walk-out-of-the-room moment” by those she confided in.
It is important to note that at the time, the consent for sex was 14-years-old and the singer admits that she was 15. It’s still sketchy and since then, the consent has moved up to 16… okay. The 47-year-old, for the most part, is jovial in the doc and reflects fondly on her time in the industry despite her early years.
So, there is definite confusion as to why she would refuse to promote the documentary. However, Klayman says she has no hard feelings and will not speculate why Morissette made the decision she did.
More To This Doc
The documentary may get overshadowed by the singer no longer wanting to be involved but it has so much to offer fans and future artists. The singer detailed instances where sexual abuse didn’t take place but unwanted advances and long gazes still offered discomfort.
“Almost every woman in the music industry has been assaulted, harassed, raped. It’s ubiquitous — more in music, even than film.” The singer also had some kind words for those who believe that she waited too long to share her abuse.
“F— off,” says Morissette. “They don’t wait 30 years. No one was listening or their livelihood was threatened or their family was threatened.”
