Billie Eilish Apologises for anti-Asian slurs

Kajal Verma

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Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter, was under criticism on social media after a TikTok video showing old clips of the Grammy winner lip-syncing Asian slurs and talks with an accent went viral, which then went viral on other social media platforms. After the video went viral, people started calling out the ‘bad guy’ singer for her past action. After the issue spread and reached every platform, the singer herself took to her Instagram to address the issue. She apologized for her actions by saying that her 13-14 years old was unaware that she was lip-syncing to was a derogatory racial slur.

In the compilation of clips that were shared by TikTok user @lcxvy, there was a video of Eilish lip-syncing to the song ‘Fish’ from Tyler, the Creator’s 2011 album Goblin. In that, the singer uses multiple sexist remarks and Asian racial slurs. The album caused him to be banned from the United Kingdom for three to five years. The other video clip(with the compilation) was of the singer trying to talk with an accent which, according to the TikTok creator, is Billie mocking the Asian accent.

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This is what the singer posted on her Instagram story, apologizing for her mouthing along to the anti-Asian slur in the song,

 “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 labelled something that I am not. 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. This song was the only time I’d ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family. Regardless of my ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact that it was hurtful. And for that, I am sorry.”

 She also addressed the second video clip and clarified the issue. According to the singer, she was not trying to imitate or mock any accent; she was just goofing around like she usually does with her family and pets. That is what the pop sensation wrote in her story regarding the second clip,

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“The other video in the edit is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice… something I started doing as a kid and has 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.”

She ended her apology, addressing the issues raised by fans and others and clarifying them, by saying “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. 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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Earlier, the singer was also under fire on social media for queer baiting because of her latest music video and an Instagram post, which is behind-the-scene shots of her music video captioned ‘I love girls.’

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