Calling Alanis Morissette‘s Jagged Little Pill album iconic is almost an understatement. Who among us hasn’t committed every angsty lyric to memory and performed songs in front of the mirror with a hairbrush microphone? It’s no wonder that in honor of the album’s 25th anniversary, HBO wanted to create a documentary about Morissette‘s life and music.
Unfortunately, Morissette herself isn’t a fan.
The documentary, aptly titled Jagged, is premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival today. The singer released a statement condemning the film and producers for including “implications and facts that simply aren’t true,” as well as preying on her during a vulnerable time in her life—when she was suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of her third child.
Currently on tour, Morissette took time out to send an exclusive statement about the film to Deadline. Here it is in full:
“i agreed to participate in a piece about the celebration of jagged little pill’s 25th anniversary, and was interviewed during a very vulnerable time (while in the midst of my third postpartum depression during lockdown). i was lulled into a false sense of security and their salacious agenda became apparent immediately upon my seeing the first cut of the film. this is when i knew our visions were in fact painfully diverged. this was not the story i agreed to tell. i sit here now experiencing the full impact of having trusted someone who did not warrant being trusted. i have chosen not to attend any event around this movie for two reasons: one is that i am on tour right now. the other is that, not unlike many “stories” and unauthorized biographies out there over the years, this one includes implications and facts that are simply not true. while there is beauty and some elements of accuracy in this/my story to be sure— i ultimately won’t be supporting someone else’s reductive take on a story much too nuanced for them to ever grasp or tell.”
[Trigger warning: sexual assault]
In the documentary, Morissette says she was raped by five different men when she was just 15 years old. Before she made it big as a singer, she was also an actress in her home country of Canada.
She’s been open about her struggles with postpartum depression in the past; she says she experienced it after the births of each of her children. She and her husband of 11 years, Souleye, have three kids together. Morissette says when she has postpartum depression, she doesn’t recognize herself or her inability to do everyday tasks—a very relatable explanation of PPD, for sure.
“I’m used to being the Rock of Gibraltar, providing, protecting and maneuvering,” she told PEOPLE in 2019. “It had me question everything. I’ve known myself to be a really incredible decision-maker and a leader that people can rely on. [Now] I can barely decide what to eat for dinner.”
It’s terribly sad that she feels her trust was violated by Jagged producers, especially during such an emotionally raw time in her life. Here’s hoping she continues to kick butt on tour (as if not kicking butt is even in the realm of possibility for her). We love you, Alanis!
