Billie Eilish apologises for old racist video: ‘It is absolute gibberish’

Billie Eilish on Tuesday posted an apology on her Instagram story after an old edited clip of the singer using a racist slur surfaced last week on TikTok. In the video, Eilish can be allegedly heard mocking accents, and in one particular sequence, she is seen singing along to a song (Tyler the Creator’s 2011 song “Fish”) that includes a racial slur.

After allegations of racism and calls for cancellation emerged online, Eilish attempted to salvage the situation with an apology on her Instagram story. She began her statement with, “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 something that I am not.”

The singer further explained that she was not imitating any accent, language or culture. She wrote, “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.”

Billie Eillish apologised on her Instagram story (Photo: Billie Eilish/Instagram)

Billie Eilish added that she has always tried to use her platform to fight for inclusion, kindness, tolerance and equality. “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. I not only believe in, but have always worked hard to use my platform to fight for inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality,” the singer further wrote.

She concluded her post by saying, “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.”