Alanis Morissette slams new documentary's 'salacious agenda' and 'reductive' story

Alanis Morissette has slammed director Alison Klayman's new HBO documentary about her life hours before its scheduled world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In a statement provided to EW, the singer-songwriter said Tuesday that she "agreed to participate in a piece about the celebration of Jagged Little Pill's 25th anniversary," but alleged the film's subsequent interviews were conducted "during a very vulnerable time" while she experienced postpartum depression.

"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," she said, going on to confirm that she would not be present at TIFF to support the film's debut. "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."

She finished: "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."

Representatives for the film didn't provide EW with immediate comment from HBO or Klayman, and the director's legal representative didn't respond to our inquiries.

Jagged, made in collaboration with HBO as part of its Music Box series highlighting the lives of recording artists like DMX, Kenny G, and more, includes Morissette alleging that she was raped by multiple men during her early career. Additionally, a description for the film — which appears on EW's list of the best films playing at TIFF 2021 — states, "As a natural people pleaser in her youth, Morissette put on a cheerful mask in public. Now she's ready to share what was concealed."

The film also serves as an expository overview of a key point in her artistic life: The creation of its namesake 1995 album, which went on to sell 33 million copies worldwide and established its maker as a leading voice for women's equality in music and in society at large. More about the doc's content will be clear after its TIFF debut.

Jagged premieres Tuesday at TIFF. Keep up with EW's ongoing coverage of the festival here.

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