Yahoo Finance Billie Eilish Apologized for a Resurfaced Video of Her Using a Racial Slur
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Last week, a Twitter user posted a video compilation of a young Billie Eilish using offensive slurs and racist words online and while singing along to a 2011 Tyler, The Creator song. On Monday, June 21st, Eilish took to her Instagram Stories to address the video and accusations that she is a not-so-closeted racist.
"This is something I WANT to address because I'm being labeled something that I am not," Eilish wrote in a text post. "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 is the only time I'd ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family. Regardless of the ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry."
The video edit, which included a clip that was recently posted to TikTok, also claimed Eilish was making fun of the Asian community, but she said that she was simply speaking "gibberish."
@billieeilish, Instagram
"I started doing [this] as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family," Eilish wrote. "It is absolutely gibberish and just me goofing around, and is in NO way imitation of anyone or any language, accent, or culture in the SLIGHTEST."
She wrote, "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."
Some of Eilish's supporters are questioning the validity of some of the racist tweets shared in the edit, with several people calling out the fact that one of the tweets is dated 2009. Eilish would have only been 7 years old.
"I not only believe in, but have always worked hard to use my platform to fight inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality," Eilish concluded. "We all need to continue having conversations, listening and learning. I hear you and I love you."