Billie Eilish apologises for mouthing racist anti-Asian slur in old resurfaced video
22 June 2021, 11:28
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A video of Billie mouthing along to Tyler, the Creator's 'Fish' went viral, with fans calling Billie out for mouthing an anti-Asian slur.
Billie Eilish has issued an apology after offensive past videos resurfaced on social media last week. In the videos, a 14-year-old Billie can be seen mouthing along to an anti-Asian slur in a song, and using an accent that appeared to imitate Asian and Black accents.
The videos began circulating on social media last week with many users beginning to call Billie out. Fans also urged her to address the videos. Now, the Happier Than Ever singer has apologised to the Asian community on her Instagram story, and explained the videos to her fans.
Read her full apology below.
Posting on her Instagram story, Billie wrote: "I love you guys, and many of you have been asking me to address this. And this is something that I WANT to address because I'm being labeled as something that I am not."
Speaking of the slur, which appears in Tyler, the Creator's 2011 song 'Fish', Billie said: "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 as it was never used around me by anyone in my family.
"Regardless of my ignorance and my age at the time, nothing excuses the fact is that it was hurtful. and for that I am sorry."
Billie then goes on to address the other video of her teenage self speaking with an accent that went viral alongside the first clip.
"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 absolute gibberish and just me goofing around, and 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 is it being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it."
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Billie ended her apology by writing: "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. I hear you and I love you. Thank you for taking the time to read this."
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