Alanis Morissette Used ‘Dogma’ to Give Ben Affleck the Ultimate Stage Clapback

Alanis Morissette has never been shy about turning her life into material, and her latest stage show takes that idea to the extreme. ‘Butterfly With a Machete’ is part concert, part confessional and part stage play, and it earned the first-ever residency at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater. The venue sits next to SoFi Stadium, and the residency followed a run of 8 sold-out shows in Las Vegas that ran from Oct. 15 to Nov. 2 in 2025, which means the Los Angeles dates came with plenty of anticipation.

The production takes audiences through Morissette’s journey from childhood in Ottawa to international stardom. It blends her songs with storytelling, therapeutic insights and a radical look at fame and trauma, which explains why a pointed remark about her past fit so naturally into the evening.

The weeks leading into the final night were already eventful. On Nov. 3, Morissette appeared on the Handsome podcast alongside Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin, and came out as pansexual near the end of the conversation. Notaro joked that she should have opened the interview with that information, and Morissette answered that she likes to save it for the epilogue.

That timing gives the next chapter extra bite. On Nov. 11, the fourth and final night of the residency, Morissette was listing the criticisms people have thrown at her over the years when she brought up a man who once asked why she didn’t lead with her sexuality. She then thanked Ben Affleck by name, with plenty of sarcasm.

Alanis Morissette calling out Ben Affleck for being inappropriate with her, oh woke is really back baby https://t.co/Vnf1p1JIrS

— Soum_designs 💚 (@SoumDesigns) November 12, 2026

Morissette didn’t stop at the shade. A scene from ‘Dogma’, the 1999 film the two starred in together, played behind her, and it shows Affleck’s character’s head exploding. The timing was pure showmanship, since Morissette played God in the movie and Affleck played the fallen angel Bartleby. The Kevin Smith film also starred Matt Damon and Salma Hayek.

In the scene, God finally reveals herself, and when Bartleby realizes he has failed in his attempt to return to Heaven, she forgives him before unleashing a scream that makes his head and chest explode. It made for a fitting reply to the remark she was calling out. Coverage describes it as an uncomfortable conversation with the actor from years ago.

The Affleck line was only one piece of a much bigger monologue about life in the public eye. Morissette said she has felt harsh judgments about her songs, her body, her looks, her thinking and her feelings, as well as her value system, her weight, how feral she is and how feral she lives. She also included her approach to parenting and education, wrapping it up by saying the same went for almost anything she did.

Other famous names came up as well. She mentioned Joni Mitchell, Sinead O’Connor, Tori Amos and Courtney Love as women she expected to support her, and she recalled trying to reach out to Johnny Depp in search of a friend, only to receive a less-than-warm response. The night also included a viral stumble, when she tumbled onstage and quickly got back up.

The moment spread quickly after a fan video of it was shared by Entertainment Weekly, and reactions split across social media. Some people celebrated the clip and praised Morissette for using it. One viral joke noted that God doesn’t have a sexuality, while other commenters argued that Affleck’s remark was inappropriate. Some users rushed to defend him instead.

The timing also coincides with a revival of interest in the movie itself, since ‘Dogma’ has gotten its long-awaited re-release. Affleck spoke about his positive experience working on ‘Dogma’ to the Associated Press last year, saying he loves the movie and praising its all-star cast, including Morissette.

A rep for Affleck also did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment, so his side of the story is still unknown. USA Today also reached out to his representative for comment. The residency now moves on, with the ‘Butterfly With a Machete’ show set to resume in Las Vegas in January 2027. That leaves a few more months for the Affleck moment to keep making the rounds.

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