I'd argue that when it comes to Jacob Elordi’s episode of Saturday Night Live from Season 49, the most memorable aspect is musical guest Reneé Rapp. So much of the Gen-Z popstar’s SNL performance was iconic, from Rachel McAdams, Rapp’s fellow Regina George, introducing her second song, to Megan Thee Stallion coming out of a cake for her rap on the bisexual anthem “Not My Fault”. However, the true defining moment was when Rapp came out during the live broadcast, a decision she made with her girlfriend.
Reneé Rapp recently appeared on Good Hang With Amy Poehler, and the two discussed everything from Rapp winning the Jimmy Awards in high school to her new upcoming album, Bite Me. A lot of the conversation revolved around the “Pretty Girls” singer’s queer identity, including the time she publicly came out as a lesbian live on SNL (of which the episode can be streamed with a Peacock subscription). The Mean Girls actress described what led to that decision, and why she made it:
[SNL writer] Celeste [Yim] and a couple of other people had written into the skit that I was doing, they were like, ‘OK, we’re gonna call you a little, bisexual intern. And, at the time, I was very publicly bisexual. I had been for a very long time. And, in private, I was talking with my girlfriend and a lot of my friends for the last eight months before that like, I actually, like, don't feel very bi at the moment. I feel very much like a lesbian, and it feels so nice. That word feels amazing, and it feels very, like, euphoric for me.
She’s come a long way in a few years, and her fans have had a front row seat. In an emotional interview last year with Alex Cooper for the Call Her Daddy podcast, the “Tummy Hurts” artist detailed how difficult her first season on The Sex Lives Of College Girls actually was. At the time, she was cast as Leighton, a closeted lesbian navigating her freshman year and, all the while, Rapp was struggling with her own sexuality.
Up until Rapp's exit in Season 3 of TSLOCG, fans watched her own journey mirror Leighton’s, making her portrayal of the fan-favorite queer character all the more impactful in hindsight. Around the same time Rapp came out as bisexual, her music career started taking off. Her debut album, Snow Angel, is truly a masterpiece and a raw reflection of her exploring her bisexual identity freely, and it even won her a GLAAD award in 2024.
Earlier that same year, Rapp appeared on SNL as a musical guest, slaying her ballad “Snow Angel,” and a fun, sexy performance of “Not My Fault,” if I do say so myself. Now, I can see it was all a victory lap after her decision to switch her skit introduction from bisexual to something that better represented her identity. It sounds like she felt the same way:
I was like, ‘Do you think we could just change it to like, gay? I don’t know. Labeling yourself publicly is really, really empowering, and also I think can be kind of intimidating. Because you’re like, ‘Jesus fucking Christ, this feels so good for me right now, and I don’t want to go by something that doesn’t feel correct.’
The “Talk Too Much” singer told Amy Poehler that she talked about the line edit with cast member Bowen Yang as well. But the 25-year-old pop star said it was her conversation with her girlfriend, British music artist Towa Bird, that sealed the deal:
I called Towa, and I was like, ‘Babe, I think I’m just gonna like rip. I think it feels good. Also, to come out as a lesbian on SNL is, like, pretty cunty. I was like, ‘I'm going to do it for sure.’
As a fan of Reneé Rapp, this announcement did not exactly come as a shock. I’d watched as her music slowly progressed to being all about women. Fans watched as the lights at her concerts subtly turned from the colors of the bisexual flag to those of the lesbian one. The signs were there, all culminating in this iconic public identity confirmation. Check out the sketch in which she formally came out:
One of the main reasons why the 25-year-old actress and singer arguably has so many fans, though, is because she has always been unapologetically herself, making this move undeniably her. When Poehler asked her about the feedback from this skit, the Mean Girls: The Musical alum said that she personally feels so good about that life decision.
As for what other people think, she doesn’t really care. The “Poison Poison” songstress knew it was probably going to disappoint some people who really related to her bisexual media, and just anger others. Rapp says she lives for controversy though, something she made clear with the first single off her upcoming album, in which she seemingly shades The Sex Lives of College Girls. Whatever the case, chances are she'll continue to capture people’s attention with her c-ntiness (positive), and I'm here for it.
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