Billie Eilish revealed she no longer wishes to discuss her sexuality or love life in the public eye in an interview with Vogue. Eilish is featured on the fashion magazine’s November cover. The young superstar asked for some grace and understanding. She argues she is still growing and learning and should be allowed to make mistakes and decisions without them being highly scrutinized.
Eilish has been in the public eye since she was 13 and has historically been very open about her personal life, and love life by extension, a move she reveals she now regrets.
Eilish’s love life previously made news in magazines and tabloids. Her relationship with The Neighbourhood’s Jesse Rutherford was covered a great deal by media outlets.
In a 2023 interview with Variety, Eilish publicly came out as queer, making global headlines. Previously in her career, Eilish had been subject to both speculation that she was queer and accusations that she was queerbaiting—the act of capitalizing on or appropriating queer imagery for marketability or popularity.
In an April interview with Rolling Stone, Eilish revealed she was frustrated by having to discuss her sexuality publicly.
Discussions about her sexuality are not the only personal topics explored by the media, which Eilish has expressed her frustrations with. She has explained her trademark baggy clothing as a defense against body shaming.
As early as 2019, she has discussed the significance of her style. She told Page Six she wears baggy clothes so that no one can have an opinion on her body.
In a previous Vogue cover story from January 2023, both Eilish’s body image and love life were discussed in depth. Eilish did not want to discuss her relationship, instead opting to take the opportunity to describe the impact negative body image had on her in her early years.
Eilish joins a growing list of celebrities calling for greater respect for their privacy. In August, Chappell Roan called out parasocial fans for going too far and invading her and her family’s privacy.
Doja Cat and Justin Bieber have also taken issue with their privacy being invaded by fans and the media.
Eilish’s call for privacy does not mean she is leaving the public eye. The “Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour,” celebrating her new album of the same name, has 83 show dates. Her new album is also expected to earn several Grammy nominations.
Eilish has sold out three shows at Madison Square Garden from Oct. 16-18.
