#Billie Eilish Apologizes for Surfaced Video With Racist Slur: “I Am Appalled and Embarrassed”

Billie Eilish issued a statement tonight addressing a video that surfaced on TikTok at the end of last week. The edited video appeared to show a young Eilish speaking in what she now claims was a “silly gibberish made up voice.” She’s also seen lip syncing a racist slur along with Tyler, the Creator’s 2011 song “Fish” from Goblin. The statement includes an apology and explanation for the video, which she says was filmed when she “was 13 or 14.” The statement was posted as an Instagram story, which was viewed by Pitchfork. Read it in full below.

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I love you guys, and many of you have been asking me to address this. And this is something that I WANT to address because I’m being labeled something that I am not. 

There’s a video edit going around of me when I was 13 or 14 where I mouthed a word from a song that at the time I didn’t know was a derogatory term and used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word. This song was the only time I’d ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family. Regardless of my ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact is that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry.

The other video in that edited clip is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice… something I started doing as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family. It is absolute gibberish and just me goofing around, and is in NO way an imitation of anyone or any language, accent or culture in the SLIGHTEST. Anyone who knows me has seen me goofing around with voices my whole life.

Regardless of how it was interpreted I did not mean for any of my actions to have caused hurt to others and it absolutely breaks my heart that it is being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it. I not only believe in, but have always worked hard to use my platform to fight for inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality.

We all need to continue having conversations, listening and learning. I hear you and I love you. Thank you for taking the time to read this.