Billie Eilish says her relationship with her body has been a ‘truly horrible, terrible thing’
The 20-year-old called her body her ‘ugly friend’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Billie Eilish has spoken candidly about her “complicated” relationship with her body.
The 20-year-old singer, who is renowned for her baggy clothes and alternative aesthetic, admits that she opted for such a uniform because she did not want people to judge her body, which she says she has “hated” since she was a child.
In a recent interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the “Bad Guy” performer was asked about the “constant scrutiny” of her body and how she currently felt about her relationship with her body.
Throwing back her head, she replied: “Gurl! Nowhere good. My relationship with my body has been a truly horrible, terrible thing since I was 11.”
This was the age at which Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette’s, which she has described as “very exhausting”.
She continued: “I love that my body is mine and that it’s with me everywhere I go. I kind of think of my body as my friend. My ugly friend! It’s complicated. But what are you gonna do?”
Her comments follow her June 2021 British Vogue cover shoot in which she appeared wearing a corset and lingerie.
The cover photo became the fastest Instagram post to reach a million likes – amassing the responses in just six minutes – but Eilish also attracted criticism for the shoot.
“No matter what you do, it’s wrong and right,” she says.
“Wearing baggy clothes, nobody is attracted to me, I feel incredibly unlovable and unsexy and not beautiful, and people shame you for not being feminine enough.
“Then you wear something more revealing and they’re, like, you’re such a fat cow w****. I’m a s*** and I’m a sell-out and I’m just like every other celebrity selling their bodies, and woah! What the f*** do you want? It’s a crazy world for women and women in the public eye.”
The Grammy-award winning singer will become the youngest ever solo headliner to perform at this week’s Glastonbury festival, which returns to Worthy Farm for the first time since 2019.
Eilish will headline the Pyramid Stage, alongside Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar, on Friday 24 June at 10.15pm for a 90 minute set.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments