The 25-year-old actor and musician spoke out after fellow singer Betty Who sparked conversation about her personal life during a recent podcast appearance.
In a new interview with Cosmopolitan published September 5, Rapp explained that she is publicly in a “very loving relationship with a woman” and is no stranger to comments dismissing her identity as a lesbian.
Her response followed remarks made by Who, born Jessica Newham, who suggested on an August 19 episode of the Made It Out podcast that Rapp may one day fall in love with a man, despite her identifying as a lesbian. “It’s funny that Reneé Rapp is like ‘you’ll never catch me dating a man,’” Who said during the episode. “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.’ That’s okay. It shouldn’t be illegal for you to fall in love.”
While Who framed her point as part of a larger conversation about fluidity, biphobia, and public pressure on queer celebrities, including JoJo Siwa, who has also faced scrutiny, Rapp found the suggestion familiar and frustrating.
“No, I’m never surprised,” Rapp said when asked about comments like these. “People are always going for lesbians! Somebody’s gonna bring my name into the conversation if they want to be in the conversation. So no, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
She went on to criticize the broader dismissal she has often faced, noting how people consistently suggest that she simply “hasn’t found the right man.” Rapp was firm in rejecting this narrative, saying, “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 not really sure what about that is so blurry.”
The singer and actress, known for her breakout roles on Broadway and in The Sex Lives of College Girls as well as her music career, added that labeling can be difficult for many in the LGBTQ+ community, but emphasized that this pressure often comes from external voices. “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,” she said. “Just literally focus on yourself.”
Betty Who, meanwhile, later apologized for her comments after facing backlash online. In a statement shared on Instagram Stories on August 28, she wrote that she realized her words unintentionally “reinforced ideas that were harmful or dismissive, particularly toward the lesbian community.”
“That was never my intention, and I’m truly sorry,” Who said. “Everyone’s journey is deeply personal, and I shouldn’t have spoken in ways that generalized or spoke for others. I understand there is so much nuance in this conversation, and in other people’s lived experiences, that my comments did not reflect. I also recognize that I’m coming from a place of privilege, and I never meant to contribute to prejudice against the community.”
Rapp has not directly responded to Who’s apology, instead choosing to focus on her own perspective. Her comments highlight an ongoing frustration felt by many LGBTQ+ individuals who see their identities questioned or undermined.
As she continues her career, Rapp remains unapologetic about living authentically and publicly with her partner, while sending a message to those who may want to speculate: her sexuality is not something that needs to be debated or reinterpreted.
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