Alanis Morissette on the Hostilities Faced Amid Fame

Alanis Morissette rose to fame with her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, making her one of the biggest stars in music. However, her success was accompanied by hostility and threats. On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Morissette discussed the troubling experiences she encountered, including websites that plotted her murder.

Morissette highlighted difficulties following her album’s release, as fellow musicians targeted her. There was terror and resistance, she said, reflecting on reactions to You Oughta Know, her lead single.

Alanis Morissette revealed that websites were once created to discuss how to murder her after Jagged Little Pill made her an international star. (Eric Robert/Sygma)

She continued, Project onto me all you want. Project that I’m the Antichrist. Morissette said she had been told she was too much for much of her life.

The hostility went beyond music criticism, escalating into threats of violence. There was a lot of hate, Morissette told Alex Cooper. Her fame spurred the creation of websites discussing methods to murder me most elegantly.

Alanis Morissette also recalled facing death threats and harsh criticism from fellow musicians, including Courtney Love and Sinéad O’Connor. (Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)

Morissette faced criticism from esteemed artists; Courtney Love and Sinéad O’Connor openly criticized her. Courtney Love was calling me fake, she remembered, yet acknowledged Love and O’Connor later apologized.

Years later, Morissette perceives these events differently, drawing comparisons to jealousy surrounding Taylor Swift. She argues that women often feel they are competing for a single spot at the top.

Alanis Morissette said the backlash reflected a scarcity mindset that made women feel there could be only one person at the top. (Krasner/Trebitz/Redferns)

A scarcity mindset, which is rooted in patriarchy, was prevalent. It created a narrative that there’s one throne, Morissette explained.

Her journey began on a Canadian TV series, You Can’t Do That on Television, and continued in the dance-pop scene. The 1995 album Jagged Little Pill marked her transformation into a global star.

The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning Morissette multiple Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. You Oughta Know won Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Morissette was recognized in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2026.