Billie Eilish is reportedly puzzled by the response to the speculation surrounding her possible coming out.
The “What Was I Made For?” singer, Billie Eilish, is one of the world’s biggest music stars, celebrated for chart-topping hits like “Bad Guy,” “Ocean Eyes,” and “Everything I Wanted.”
Billie Eilish has already shattered significant records in her career, becoming the only woman to win all four major categories at the Grammys and the youngest artist ever to headline Coachella.
Billie Eilish has also been in high-profile relationships, including with rapper Brandon Adams and singer Jesse Rutherford.
In a recent issue of Variety, the “Bellyache” singer seemingly hinted that she is also “attracted to women.”
However, Eilish has since expressed confusion over the reaction to her apparent coming out.
In her cover story for Variety’s Power of Women issue, the “No Time To Die” artist discussed her experiences as a young woman in the public eye, confessing that she often feels intimidated by other women.
“I’ve never really felt like I could relate to girls very well,” Eilish shared.
“I love them so much. I love them as people. I’m attracted to them as people. I’m genuinely attracted to them,” Eilish stated.
In another part of her original Variety interview, the Oscar-winning singer discussed her complex relationship with womanhood and how it was influenced by the strong response to her single “What Was I Made For?”
After the release of Barbie, the track went viral on TikTok, featuring montages set to the song as women shared their own experiences of girlhood—something Eilish described as “moving.”
The music video for the song features the singer unpacking Barbie-sized versions of her most iconic outfits, including oversized T-shirts and shorts.
The artist explained that the concept aimed to emphasize her desire to maintain ownership over her body.
Eilish shared, “I didn’t want anyone to have visual access to my body. I didn’t feel strong or secure enough to reveal it. If I had exposed it back then, I would have been heartbroken by any comments people made.”
She continued by expressing that she had “never felt desired or desirable,” adding, “Honestly, I’ve never felt like a woman. I’ve never felt attractive or feminine. I often have to remind myself that I’m, like, a pretty girl.”
“I identify as ‘she/her’ and similar terms, but I’ve never truly felt like a girl.”
In a Rolling Stone cover story, the singer revealed more about her sexuality, stating that her new song “Lunch” was inspired by her crush on a girl. The interviewer noted that she compares intimacy with her to savoring a delicious meal.
Eilish remarked, “That song played a significant role in helping me become my true self.”
“I wrote part of it before I had any experiences with a girl and finished it afterward. I’ve loved girls my entire life, but I didn’t fully understand it until last year when I realized I wanted my face in a v*.”
After the interview, Eilish walked the red carpet at Variety’s Hitmakers event, where she and her brother Finneas received the Film Song of the Year award for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie.
A reporter inquired whether the 21-year-old intended to “come out” during her interview.
“No, I didn’t, but I thought… wasn’t it obvious?” Eilish replied. “I just didn’t realize that people were unaware.”
She added that she doesn’t subscribe to the idea of coming out, explaining, “I just don’t really believe in it… Why can’t we just exist? I’ve been living this way for a long time; I just didn’t talk about it… whoops.”
The “Bury a Friend” singer was then asked about the fans’ reaction to the news, to which she responded, “I saw all the articles and thought, ‘Oh, I guess I came out today… OK, cool.’”
“But it’s exciting for me because I guess people didn’t know, so it’s great that they do now… I’m here for the girls.”
While Eilish appeared to downplay the comments during the interview, her activity on Instagram afterward indicates that she felt frustrated by the article and the questions.
Uploading a series of photos from the event, Eilish wrote in the caption, “Thanks, Variety, for my award and for also outing me on a red carpet at 11 a.m. instead of discussing anything else that matters.”
“I like boys and girls, so please leave me alone about it. Literally, who cares? Stream ‘What Was I Made For?’”
Reflecting on the incident months later, Rolling Stone reported that Eilish believes she “overreacted” to the situation.
She even liked the journalist who posed the question, which led her to provide a more cautious response.
“I went into Billie Eilish interview mode, thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t care. Yeah, I’ll say whatever. Wasn’t it obvious?’” she explained. “Then afterward, I realized, ‘Wait. It wasn’t obvious to me.’”
However, she still felt “exploited” by the questions, especially given that she’s a 22-year-old woman.
“I’ve known people who don’t discover their sexuality or feel comfortable with it until they’re in their forties, fifties, or sixties,” she said.
“It takes time to discover yourself, and I think it’s really unfair how the internet pressures you into discussing who you are and what you are.”
Billie Eilish opens up about coming out in her Variety cover story: "I didn't realize people didn't know!" | Variety Hitmakers presented by @sonyelectronics https://t.co/xxmgD0zs3Y pic.twitter.com/uDDbCk6tgp
— Variety (@Variety) December 2, 2023
