Billie Eilish apologises for using a racial slur
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
An old video of singer Billie Eilish has resurfaced, showing her mouthing along to lyrics containing a racial slur targeting the Asian community. She has since addressed the backlash head on with a lengthy apology, adding that she was perhaps just 13 years old in the video and was unaware of what she was saying.
"I love you guys, and many of you have been asking me to address this. And this is something I WANT to address because I’m being labeled something that I am not," she said on an Instagram Stories 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."
Billie continued to say, "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 Lost Cause singer then went on to acknowledge further claims that she was also using an offensive accent, saying, "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 absolutely gibberish and just me goofing around and is in NO way 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."
Billie concluded her statement with, "I not only believe in, but have always worked hard to use my platform to fight 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."
You Might Also Like
