It's tough enough to grow into a woman as is, but Billie Eilish has done so with much of the world watching her. The 21-year-old acclaimed singer/songwriter, activist and fashion icon has not been shy about the incessant body shaming and critical glares she's been hit with over the years. More recently, Eilish got candid about how all of that has weighed on her and impacted her view of herself. She also got real about the personal tools she uses to keep herself feeling confident and happy in her own skin.
Billie Eilish has been very busy as of late and is set to resume her Happier Than Ever World Tour later this summer. She also recently surprised fans with her first acting role, which came by way of the critically-acclaimed horror series Swarm, which can be watched with an Amazon subscription. Amid all of that though, Eilish got personal about how she's handled harsh criticism that's been aimed at her physical appearance over the years. And in her words, it's impacted her deeply:
Dude, I don’t even know. It’s tough, man. Honestly, nobody can say anything about my body that I don’t have a stronger opinion about […] I also think that if I was younger, like if the internet talked about me the way they do now when I was like 11, I don’t think I would be able to exist, to be honest I like myself more than I used to, and I’m more interested in how I feel than how they feel. But then also that might be a load of bullshit, because it still hurts my feelings like a son of a bitch.
Considering she is human just like each and everyone one of us, it's not surprising that the commentary affects her in some way and can get to her. But she also told British Vogue that at the end of the day, she pays a lot more attention to how she feels about herself than what others think. The No Time To Die alum also spoke to one thing she does that has helped her reframe and see her body as a friend rather than foe. As she shared:
My relationship to myself has gotten really nice. I really enjoy my company to be honest. I say that as a person who didn’t for a really long time. I started talking out loud to my body and when I felt weak because I’m tired or I feel like I don’t look good, or I feel like something hurts, or whatever it is, I’ll talk out loud to different body parts as if I’m there supporting them, and there for them, and they are there for me. And, I feel like I’m never fully alone.
It’s unfortunate that Billie Eilish deals with constant judgement from the public. This aspect of fame has led the singer to bail from social media, though she still takes time to post her fits and update fans on the latest happenings from her career. She also took to Instagram last month to address the fact that she's gotten hate for dressing both masculine and feminine over the years. With that, she pointed out that “women are multifaceted” and can be two things at once.
As she said, if she had dealt with the same hate when she was much younger, she would not have been able to handle it in stride as she does now. In addition to explaining that speaking highly of her body assists her in keeping a positive outlook, she also shared that taking baths, playing games on her phone and being around dogs, specifically “big dogs” really aids in her mental health and allows her to chill out.
As Anne Hathaway recently said about the celebrity, she has some serious BDE for always being candid about her experiences in the spotlight and speaking up for herself. Billie Eilish is certainly rising above the negativity and just doing her, as she should.
