Billie Eilish "appalled and embarrassed" for historic racial slur

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief

Published: June 22 2021 | 13:14

Last updated: June 24 2021 | 16:45

Billie Eilish issues an apology after a five-year-old video resurfaces in which she mouths along to an offensive word in a song.

Billie Eilish has issued an apology over a historic video which depicts her singing to a song containing a racial slur.

The clip in question - recorded when she was either 13 or 14 - shows her mouthing along to the song 'Fish' from Tyler the Creator which features the derogatory Asian term "ch**k".

After the video went viral on TikTok, the 19-year-old singer took to Instagram to say sorry to her 87 million followers.

"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," she wrote in a Stories post.

"There's a video edit going around of me when I was 13 or 14 where I'm mouthed the word for the song that at the time I didn't know it was a derogatory term used against members of the Asian community.

"I am appalled and embarrassed I want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word.

"This song was the only time I've ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone and 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."

Eilish - known for songs such as 'Bad Guy' and the James Bond theme 'No Time To Die' - is one of the most successful breakout artists of the last few years, having won seven Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards and three Video Music Awards.