Alanis Morissette just came out as pansexual, and she did it in the most casual way possible. The 52 year old singer shared the news during the Tuesday, November 3 episode of the Handsome podcast, hosted by comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin.
The moment came toward the end of the conversation. Fortune told Alanis, “I’m sorry for the men that hurt you, but I’m not sorry for the songs that came from it,” a nod to the heartbreak anthems that made Jagged Little Pill one of the biggest albums of the ’90s. Then she asked, “Did it make you want to be a lesbian at any point?”
“I’m pansexual, so, yeah,” Alanis answered.
Tig stopped her right there. “Wait, you’re not really pansexual, are you?”
“I am,” Alanis said.
When the hosts joked that they should have opened the episode with that, the seven time Grammy winner had the perfect response. “I like to leave it for the epilogue,” she said.
Pansexual means being attracted to people regardless of their gender. Where bisexual usually describes attraction to more than one gender, pansexual people often describe gender as simply not being a factor in who they are drawn to.
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Alanis has been married to Mario Treadway, a rapper who performs as Souleye, since 2010. The couple share three children: Ever, 15, Onyx, 10, and Winter, 7.
Longtime fans may not be shocked. Alanis has played with queer storylines for years, including a twist at the end of her 2005 “Crazy” music video where it turns out she is upset because the man’s girlfriend is her ex girlfriend. She also shared a kiss with Sarah Jessica Parker during a guest spot on Sex and the City, which she later described to The Advocate as “awkward.”
This time, there was no storyline. Just Alanis, answering a question honestly and moving on.
