Saturday Night Live has been an inspiration for 50 years, typically inspiring performers to pursue comedy or music. But one established postar shared that SNL helped her with a very different aspect of her life.
Reneé Rapp served as the musical guest in season 49, making her SNL debut on January 20, 2024. SNL made sure to use all of Rapp's talents, putting her in a scene alongside host Jacob Elordi and cast member Bowen Yang.
Appearing on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, Rapp revealed she requested a script change to better reflect her personal life. Up until that point, the singer and actor identified as bisexual. So the sketch referred to her character as the "little bisexual intern."
"In private, I was talking with my girlfriend [Towa Bird] and a lot of my friends for the last maybe eight months before that, of being like, 'I actually don't really feel very, like, bi at the moment," Rapp told Poehler. "I feel very much like a lesbian' and it feels so nice. That word feels amazing, and it feels very euphoric for me."
With that in mind, Rapp asked the line change from "bisexual" to "lesbian." She explained to Poehler that she felt both intimidated and empowered by the decision to publicly label herself.
"You're like, 'Jesus f***ing Christ, this feels so good for me right now and I don't want to go by something that doesn't feel correct,'" Rapp said. "But I'm also going to, like, give myself the willingness to be like, what if in 10 years I don't like that identity either? What if in 10 years, I'm completely different in terms of my identity and sexuality or like my gender expression?"
Rapp also knew there could be some backlash to her decision, given its a big swing to come out on Saturday Night Live. So the singer made sure not to check online reactions to the sketch and instead focus on her inner circle and supporters.
Rapp's career continues to rise and there doesn't seem to be anything slower her down, no matter what label she chooses to use. And it probably won't be long before we see her back on Saturday Night Live.