Pop sensation Billie Eilish found herself at the center of controversy as she accused Variety of “outing” her and redirecting attention from her achievements. Eilish, known for her candidness, expressed frustration over being questioned about her sexual orientation instead of her work.
The incident occurred at Variety’s annual event in Los Angeles, where Eilish was honored with the Film Song of the Year award. In response to a question regarding her recent Variety cover story, where she discussed her attraction to women,
Eilish clarified,
“No, I didn’t [intend to come out]. But I kind of thought, ‘Wasn’t it obvious? I didn’t realize people didn’t know.'”
The Grammy award-winner, who has been open about her reluctance to conform to societal norms, continued,
“I just don’t really believe in [coming out]. I’m just like, ‘Why can’t we just exist?’ I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I just didn’t talk about it. Whoops.”
Despite her seemingly nonchalant response, Eilish later took to Instagram to express her discontent with Variety’s approach. In a post, she thanked the outlet for the award but criticized them for discussing her sexuality on the red carpet. “Thanks Variety for my award and for also outing me on a red carpet at 11 am instead of talking about anything else that matters. I like boys and girls; leave me alone about it, please. Literally, who cares? Stream ‘What Was I Made For,'” she wrote.
While some fans empathized with Eilish’s frustration, others clarified that Variety did not “out” her, but rather asked about her intentions behind the Variety cover story. Regardless, the incident has sparked a conversation about the media’s focus on celebrities’ personal lives over their professional accomplishments.
Billie Eilish, known for her impactful statements, remains unapologetic about her authenticity and continues to advocate for a shift in focus towards artists’ work rather than their personal lives.
