Alanis Morissette Says Experiencing Sexuality Fluidity Is a 'Self-Defining Thing' Rather Than a Phase

Alanis Morissette has discussed her sexuality for years. In 2008, she described her experiences with women as a 'self-defining thing,' rejecting the suggestion that they were simply a phase. The remark resurfaced after she identified as pansexual on the Handsome podcast on 3 November 2026.

The earlier exchange took place on The Howard Stern Show. Stern questioned Morissette about what he called her 'lesbian phase.' She challenged that description, while saying she considered herself 'pretty heterosexual' at the time.

Morissette made her latest comments during a conversation with hosts Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin. Feimster referred to the men who had hurt Morissette and the songs inspired by those experiences. She then asked: 'Did it make you want to be a lesbian at any point?'

'I'm pansexual, so, yeah,' Morissette replied, adding: 'I get everything.' Notaro asked whether she was serious. 'I am,' Morissette confirmed.

Notaro joked that Morissette should have shared the news at the start. The singer replied: 'You know, I like to leave it for the epilogue. I like to confuse people on the way out. Is it confusing?'

The exchange came near the end of the hour-long episode. Pansexuality generally describes attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender. Morissette's public use of the label is new, but she had discussed sexual exploration before.

Alanis Morissette Rejected The 'Lesbian Phase' Label

In the 2008 Stern interview, Morissette described the experience as something that helped define her, rather than a passing phase.

She revisited the subject in a 2008 interview with The Advocate. Asked about her earlier comments, she said: 'I think it's a beautiful rite of passage for everyone to play with their sexuality at some point, so I did exactly that. And it was great!'

Morissette also discussed her connection to the LGBTQ+ community. She told the magazine that many of her friends were gay when she was young and that her first manager was gay. 'I used to go to nightclubs with him in New York when I was 14,' she said.

Her LGBTQ+ Connections Extend Beyond Music

Morissette's connection to LGBTQ+ stories has also appeared in her acting work. During a September 2026 appearance on Call Her Daddy, she recalled suggesting that Carrie Bradshaw experience a 'lesbian moment' on Sex and the City.

Morissette appeared in the show's third season, in the episode 'Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl...'. She played Dawn, who kisses Carrie, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, during a game of spin the bottle.

The singer has had public relationships with men, including Dave Coulier, Dash Mihok and Ryan Reynolds. She married musician Mario 'Souleye' Treadway in 2010, and they have three children.

In a 2019 interview with Self, Morissette praised her husband's approach to their relationship. 'He's an incredibly modern man, so he has never had an issue with being married to an alpha woman, God bless him,' she said.

Her earlier remarks did not establish that she identified as pansexual. In 2008, she discussed past experiences; in 2026, she named her sexuality publicly.