This past week, Billie Eilish began facing backlash after clips allegedly showed her mouthing along to an anti-Asian slur in a song and imitating an Asian accent and using a Blaccent.
Here are the clips in question:
tw racism u guys know even if u dont think billie eilish is queerbaiting she is literally l racist and u shouldn’t support her right?????
The word Billie mouthed is universally considered a derogatory term.
On Monday night, Billie took to her Instagram story to apologize and address the situation:
“Many of you have been asking me to address this. This is something I WANT to address because I’m being labeled something that I am not,” Billie wrote.
"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 used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word," she continued.
"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 that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry."
Billie then went on to address claims that she was both speaking in a Blaccent and Asian accent. “Speaking in a silly gibberish made-up voice [is] something I started doing as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family," she wrote. "It 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.”
You can read Billie's statement in full here:
