Billie Eilish Says She Absolutely Didn’t Snub Her Fans After ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ In Instagram Rant
A video has surfaced that appears to show Eilish ignoring her fans after 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. But Eilish contends that those people shouting were paparazzi and people trying to sell her autograph.
Pop superstar Billie Eilish has clapped back at paparazzi and so-called “eBayers” who she says booed her after her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday.
Responding to a video that’s been circulating since the incident, in which Eilish appears to be ignoring her screaming fans, she posted a series of Instagram Stories on Saturday.
She described how there was a group of fans to her left, and who she thought were fans and paparazzi on her right. She went to speak to the people on her left: “I walked all the way over to them and I hugged them all, I did pictures, I talked to them for a second…”
Then she went over to the right side, to people who were cheering and shouting her name. “As I got closer, I realised that it was pretty much all paparazzi and eBayers, which is what we call people that just take my signature and sell it and couldn’t give less of a fuck about me at all.
“I didn’t want to be disrespectful at all so I went up to them all, and I tried to get hugs or I tried to touch all their hands, go down the line, you know, whatever. I started to do that and nobody put their hands out and nobody tried to hug me back. I hugged one girl at the end, she was really sweet.”
Eilish explained in the video that she doesn’t like to sign autographs – because she often finds that those signatures are then sold back to her actual fans online. She’ll do it for people she reckons are real fans – “for a special occasion or if somebody’s in need” – but for Eilish, it’s most important she be present.
“I have this whole thing about not signing things because I just wanna be there. I’d way rather get a hug and talk to you than take a picture with you and fuckin’ sign something so you can sell that shit.”
When Eilish walked away from the paps and people looking for autographs, the crowd started to boo her, apparently calling her a “little bitch”, saying she was going to lose her Grammy nominations, and that “Lorde would’ve stopped”.
Ultimately, Eilish went back to the group of fans on her left. “I was like, ‘You guys, they booed me!’ and they were very sweet. You guys are my friends. I love you a lot.”
In her videos, Billie Eilish pointed out that she is a 17-year-old girl being jeered at by grown men. “I turned around ready to fuckin’ pounce and then I got told to just ignore it and not give a reaction, which is probably good. It’s probably stupid that I’m making these videos…”
She ended her callout with a message to the adult men who cursed her for not signing autographs.
“To the grown men that booed me and called me a ‘little bitch’, I hope the best for you. I hope you can find someone else that you can use to make money off of and belittle. All the best. Love you paparazzi.”