Mumbai: American singer Billie Eilish, who is popular for her songs like ‘Lovely’, ‘bad Guy’, ‘Ocean Eyes’ and others, have issued an apology on her social media for a racist remark against Asians in an old video.
In the video, the singer can be seen mouthing a word while singing Tyler, The Creator's 2011 song Fish. The word which was being used by Billie is regarded as racially derogatory towards Asians. The singer then apologised for her remark after the video went viral on social media and the singer apologised for using a racist slur.
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Taking to her Instagram story, Billie Eilish wrote, “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 and used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word.”
She continued, “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 is that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry.”
Billie further clarified and wrote, “The other video in that edited clip is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice... something I started doing as a kid and have 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.”
“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”, wrote the ‘My Strange Addiction’ singer.
Billie Eilish has won several awards and accolades in her career. She is the winner of seven Grammy Awards. She also holds two Guinness World Records.
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