On Saturday night, Olivia Rodrigo sang Carly Simon’s classic “You’re So Vain” at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. Carly Simon was being inducted into the Hall Of Fame, but Rodrigo wasn’t originally scheduled to sing the song on her own. Instead, Rodrigo was scheduled to perform the song with her friend Alanis Morissette. (Rodrigo recently sang “You Oughta Know” onstage with Morissette and then inducted Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame.) Rodrigo and Morissette rehearsed the cover of “You’re So Vain” together, but Morissette backed out of the Hall Of Fame ceremony at the last minute. Now she’s explained why.

On her Instagram Stories last night, Alanis Morissette posted a statement about why she didn’t perform at the Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. Morissette didn’t put blame on any particular party, but she wrote about experiencing “an overarching anti-woman sentiment” in the music industry. It sure seems like she had a problem with the show’s production team, since she wrote that she’s had “countless incredible experiences with production teams with all genders throughout my life.”

Here’s Alanis Morissette’s statement:

There are some misinformed rumblings about my not performing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this past weekend. Firstly, I have to say how much I adore Carly Simon and Olivia Rodrigo and Dolly Parton and Janet Jackson and Pat Benatar and Sheryl Crow and Pink and Brandi Carlile and Sara Bareilles — and all the amazing people and artists who were there.

I have spent decades in an industry that is rife with an overarching anti-woman sentiment and have tolerated a lot of condescension and disrespectfulness, reduction, dismissiveness, contract-breaching, unsupportiveness, exploitation and psychological violence (and more) throughout my career. I tolerated it because nothing would stop me from connecting with those who I cared about and resonated with. I live to serve and connect with people and so over the years I sucked it up on more occasions than I can count in order to do so. It’s hard not to be affected in any industry around the world, but Hollywood has been notorious for its disrespect of the feminine in all of us.

Thankfully, I am at a point in my life where there is no need for me to spend time in an environment that reduces women. I have had countless incredible experiences with production teams with all genders throughout my life. So many, and so fun. There is nothing better than a team of diverse people coming together with one mission. I’ll continue to show up in those environments with bells on. 🙂

Voting time! I love you,

alanis

Variety reports that Alanis Morissette and Olivia Rodrigo rehearsed a performance of “You’re So Vain” on the night before the show. Some sources tell Variety that Morissette “struggled with the song” during rehearsals, while other sources dispute that account, saying that rehearsals were proceeding as normal. Morissette hadn’t been announced for the show beforehand. Apparently Olivia Rodrigo’s solo version of “You’re So Vain” seemed to go on for longer than some were expecting. Here’s a fan-made video of her cover:

“You’re So Vain,” as it happens, came out 50 years ago today. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will air on HBO later this month.