Billie Eilish apologizes for resurfaced video of her ‘mocking Asian accents’ and mouthing ‘ch*nk’

Billie Eilish has said she is ’embarrassed and appalled’ after an old video of herself as young teenager mouthing a racist slur resurfaced on TikTok earlier this month, but has denied mocking Asian accents.

The singer, 19, said she was seeking to address the claims stemming from the clips, which were shared by the user @lcxvy, in which she appeared to say the word ‘ch*nk’, an offensive slur referring to a person of Chinese descent.

In her statement on Instagram, Eilish said she was being ‘labeled some thing that [she’s] not’ in connection with the clips from her early teens.

‘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,’ she wrote. ‘I am appalled and embarrassed I want to barf that I ever mouth belong 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.’

The Los Angeles native also addressed a second clip that showed Eilish appearing to mock an Asian accent, while her brother Finneas later called her out for speaking with a ‘Black accent.’

The Bad Guy performer said, ‘The other video that edited clip is me speaking a silly gibberish made up voice … something I started doing as a kid and I’ve done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends and family. It’s absolutely gibberish and just me goofing around and it is NO way in imitation of anyone or any language, accent, or culture in the SLIGHTEST.’

Eilish said that anyone who knows her is aware that ‘goofing around with [her] voice is [her] whole life.’ 

Billie added that the response ‘breaks [her] heart’ because she wouldn’t want people to be hurt by the misinterpretation.

‘Regardless of how it was interpreted I did not mean for any of my actions to have caused hurt to others and now it absolutely breaks my heart that it is being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it,’ she said. ‘I not only believe in, but I’ve always worked hard to use my platform to fight for inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality.

She wrapped up in saying, ‘We all need to continue having conversations listening and learning. I hear you and I love you, thank you for taking the time to read this.’ 

While many fans of the singer were left shocked by the footage, with some calling on her to be ‘cancelled’, others blamed the content on Billie having Tourette syndrome – which causes involuntary tics. 

Billie revealed in 2018 that she has the disorder, but said that she exhibits physical tics, not verbal.

Shocked fans took to social media after the videos emerged to pen: ‘wait billie eilish mocked asian people and it’s on video’; ‘billie eilish mocking black and asian accents is so gross’; ‘ billie eilish has been racist to asians on multiple occasions (saying the c slur and mocking asian languages) but no one ever talks about it. [sic]’. 

Another added: ‘no longer fan of billie eilish after she mocked asians and there accents. shes so f****ed up , thats why so much asian hate if covid 19 hasnt made ppl nuts already ppl stil ldisrespect based on culture and ethnicity now’; ‘ I liked her [so much] I’m so disappointed’. 

MailOnline has contacted Billie’s representatives for comment. 

The controversy comes just days after Billie found herself embroiled in another scandal. 

Last week, Billie was accused of queerbaiting by confused followers after she shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from her Lost Cause video.

In the images the singer frolics with her female pals at a party and puts on an animated display sticking out her tongue while they all pose closely together.

However after sharing the edgy pictures with the caption ‘I love girls’, Billie came under fire in the comments with some of her 86.9m fans questioning her actions.

A TikTok user with the handle Wap.Lover uploaded a message in which she penned: ‘Acting sexual with girls to draw in more audience is gross.’ 

Some music lovers suggested Billie might be coming out in the post and others praised her video saying she looked ‘confident’ and ‘stunning as ever’.

Despite the praise, others were a little uneasy about it and wrote: ‘Funny she is posting this in June, pride month. Bestie you better not be queer baiting.’

And another added: ‘Bye I literally cannot. It’s like if she’s coming out good for her but if she claims to be straight after this, bestie it’s queer baiting sorry…’ 

While a third put: ‘I really hope this isn’t queer baiting’. 

Elsewhere in the comments section, Billie’s fans debated whether she was using the post and caption to discuss her sexuality.

One person replied: ‘Wait wait wait, is this a come out??????’

‘Uhm this better be you coming out cause I’ve been simping [crushing] my whole life’, wrote another. 

Urban Dictionary defines queerbaiting as: ‘A marketing technique used to attract queer viewers that involves creating romantic or sexual tension between two same-sex characters but never making it canon or evolving on it.’

Rich Ferraro, chief communications officer at GLAAD, added to the idea saying it can sometimes also be called ‘gaybaiting’.

They told the Yahoo Life: ‘We often see it from brands or talent who are trying to market products or projects to the community and have a goal not to create change, but to profit from LGBTQ dollars.’

Other celebrities have been accused of queerbaiting including Nick Jonas, Rita Ora after the release of song Girls, with her later coming out as bisexual, and Ariana Grande, after the release of her song Monopoly in 2019, reports the BBC.

Addressing claims in 2014, Nick told Pride Source: ‘Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I think it’s unfortunate that some people have to find a negative in every situation. 

‘Clearly my heart is in the right place… and if they just looked at my life and my gay friends and the authentic nature of where my heart is, they’d just see that they’re kind of ignorant.’

While most recently Dove Cameron shared that part of the reason she came out publicly as bisexual was because fans thought she was engaging in queerbaiting. 

Billie also came under fire for her song Wish You Were Gay back in 2019, with the star later addressing the furore and saying that it’s ‘not supposed to be an insult’ 

Speaking with PopBuzz, Billie said: ‘First off, I want to be so clear that it’s so not supposed to be an insult. I feel like it’s been a little bit misinterpreted. I tried so hard to not make it in any way offensive. 

‘The whole idea of the song is, it’s kind of a joke. It’s kind of like, ‘I’m an ass, and you don’t love me. And you don’t love me because you don’t love me and that’s the only reason — and I wish you didn’t love me because you didn’t love f—ing girls’.’   

Track Lost Cause will feature on Billie’s upcoming album Happier Than Ever, which is set for release later in 2021.

Happier Than Ever’s first single, entitled My Future, was released last July and went on to debut at the number six spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Earlier this month, Billie’s boyfriend Matthew Tyler Vorce, 29, took to his Instagram page to apologize for past racist and homophobic posts on Twitter and Facebook. 

Matthew reportedly used offensive slurs about Black and gay people, along with body shaming comments, which includes describing acclaimed singer Adele as the ‘British Miss Piggy’ back in 2012.

Addressing his behavior, he wrote: ‘I want to apologize for the things that I wrote on social media in the past.’ 

‘The language I used was hurtful and irresponsible and I understand how offensive those words are. 

‘Whether it was a lyric, a quote or just me being dumb, it does not matter,’ Vorce wrote on his Insta-Story.  

‘I am ashamed and deeply sorry that I used them in any context. It is not how I was raised and it is not what I stand for. I shouldn’t have used this language in the first place and I won’t use it again. I am so sorry for the hurt I have caused.’

He ended by proclaiming, ‘I take full responsibility and continue to hold myself accountable for my actions.’   

Seemingly coming to his defense, Eilish (born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell) has since liked a post from a fan that hinted the old posts attributed to Vorce might be fake.     

‘This fandom is so embarrassing sometimes like why would you go in someone’s comments and say something that you literally don’t even know is true and something y’all LITERALLY MADE UP,’ it began in a Def Noodles post. 

‘Sometimes y’all are so dumb. Some of you just need to learn how to mind your business.’ 

Using the Instagram handle of @corduroygraham, Vorce has 41,1000 followers, but he has recently made his account private.  

As an actor, he’s best known for his roles in the TV movie Mother, May I Sleep With Danger? (2016) alongside James Franco, as well as Little Monsters (2012), Return Home (2016) and Dark Hours: Typee (2016).   

Billie’s new music coincided with her British Vogue cover shoot last month, in which shed vowed to clear up any misconceptions as she felt her intent formed ‘lot of weird miscommunications.’   

Billie shocked fans when she stripped down to a corset for the racy shoot – after vowing that she did not want to show her body – and she explained her reasoning to the magazine.  

She stated: ‘It’s all about what makes you feel good. If you want to get surgery, go get surgery.

‘If you want to wear a dress that somebody thinks that you look too big wearing, f**k it – if you feel like you look good, you look good.’

The shoot came as she unveiled the video to her single Your Power, which highlights the subjects of sexual abuse, coercion and control, and told the publication it’s a message to the viewer to consider their perceptions of women based on their looks.

‘Don’t make me not a role model because you’re turned on by me,’ she said. 

‘I’ve grown so much and gotten so much better in my voice, it’s crazy to think about. I think change is one of the best gifts in the world.’

Billie, who said she rekindled her love for music in lockdown, added that she hoped by taking a statement on her own beliefs she would maintain control over her own narrative.

The star continued: ‘It’s about taking that power back, showing it off and not taking advantage with it. I’m not letting myself be owned anymore.’

Discussing her future self, Billie went onto say: ‘It’s about taking that power back, showing it off and not taking advantage with it. I’m not letting myself be owned anymore.’

However, the biggest shock for some came as Billie departed from her famed grunge look to strip off for the accompanying photoshoot. 

She shed her signature style to pose in underwear for the publication’s June issue, a departure from her previous vows to ‘always wear baggy clothes’ so the world ‘could not know her’.

A host of fans swarmed Twitter claiming her record label were the brains behind the look while other insisted she had ‘sold out’ to look like ‘what a woman should be’ and make money. 

In May last year, she said: ‘If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I’m a s**t… 

‘Though you’ve never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it. Why? We make assumptions about people based on their size. We decide who they are, we decide what they’re worth.’

In a true departure from her earlier looks, when she shared the shoot – showing her swathed in PVC, bustiers and push-up lingerie – she soon invited mass comments from friends, stars and fans. 

Unconvinced critics took to Twitter to pen: ‘In a corset? Ummm, yeah. Read the history on corsets and then come back and talk about empowerment…

‘Is showing your body ’empowering’ or did Billie Eilish not have enough fans or attention when she wore baggy clothes… I kno labels are behind @billieeilish new girly sexy look, i like the baggy billie tbh…

‘I think Billie Eilish’s management knew that deliberately concealing her body in those baggy clothes for all that time, and then doing a dramatic reveal leaving almost nothing to the imagination would generate a lot of discussion and keep her relevant. Sorry but I’m not a fan…

‘At least she’s not putting on baggy clothes. Who else thinks she was cajoled into not wearing her norms?… A sell out from a signature style to reinforce what “women” should be like.

‘You should have been on the cover with your black and green hair and baggy clothes. Tut tut tut..

‘She finally sold her soul, dont expect her to go back to baggy stuff now!… proof that money can make you change your values, another sell out.’

Aside from her less impressed critics, industry friends Emily Ratajkowski, 29, Hailey Bieber, 24, and Meghan Trainor, 27, complimented the star’s ‘beautiful’ images. 

New mother Emily commented: ‘Yussss’, while Justin Bieber’s wife said: ‘SHEEESH.’ Editor-In-Chief Edward Enniful also added: ‘Thank you for trusting us… YOU KILLED IT’, while fellow Meghan shared: ‘WOWWW. SO STUNNING.’ (sic)