Reneé Rapp responds to Betty Who’s remarks about her sexuality
Who's comments sparked backlash online, with many accusing the Australian singer of suggesting Rapp’s lesbian identity might not be permanent
By Callum Wells
Reneé Rapp has spoken out following comments made by Betty Who about her sexuality.
Earlier this year, Who appeared on the Made It Out podcast and discussed the fluidity of sexual identity. She referenced the singer directly, saying: “Reneé Rapp is like, ‘You’ll never catch me dating a man.’ It’s like, ‘Go off, queen! I love that for you!’ But I also hold space for her in 10 years if she goes, ‘Oops, I met the love of my life and it’s this man, I didn’t mean to.’”
The remarks sparked backlash online, with many accusing the Australian singer of suggesting Rapp’s lesbian identity might not be permanent. Who later apologised, acknowledging that her comments were inappropriate.
“There is so much pressure when it comes to labelling yourself” – Reneé Rapp on defining her sexuality
Now, the Mean Girls star has addressed them in her September Cosmopolitan UK digital cover interview. She told the magazine: “I mean, it’s just very similar to the whole, ‘She hasn’t found the right man.’ It’s incredibly similar, let’s be so clear. I’m just like, ‘What the fuck? What makes you think I’m gonna end up with a man?’ Also, how about don’t talk about me when it comes to a man? I’m very publicly in a very loving relationship with a woman. So I’m not really sure what about that is so blurry.
“I mean, I completely understand that identifying yourself can be really difficult. There is so much pressure when it comes to labelling yourself, but I think that pressure often comes from you. Like, no-one ever had a gun to my head and was like, ‘Tell me what you are, right the fuck now.’
“I had a gun to my own head and I was like, ‘Tell me what you are, right the fuck now,’ because I was trying to figure it out, because I didn’t know who I was. So I’m always confused whenever people try to do that to other people. Just focus on yourself. Just literally focus on yourself. Don’t bring my big fucking lesbian name into your mouth and into this drama.”
Read the full digital cover interview on Cosmopolitan UK.