In a bit over a week, Billie Eilish will celebrate her 18th birthday (on December 18). While there’s always a level of excitement that comes with turning 18 and legally becoming an adult, there are some aspects of adulthood that Eilish isn’t excited about, like the potential that she might be open to more intense scrutiny and criticism.
In an interview with Extra at Variety’s 2019 Hitmakers Brunch, Eilish was asked, “Do you think people forget that you’re 17 sometimes,” to which she responded, “Oh, 100 percent, a million percent.” When asked how she deals with it, Eilish continued, “I forget I’m 17 sometimes, honestly. I’m genuinely terrified to turn 18, even though I’ve looked forward to turning 18 my whole life. I’m just afraid people are going to be like, ‘Aaand here’s all the hate we feel.’ You know? They normally hold it back a little bit — I mean, they barely hold it back — but a little bit, I feel like people are like, ‘Well, she’s a minor, you know, we won’t say…,’ whatever. I’m worried people are just going to throw it at me. It’s okay, though — I’m excited to turn 18.”
The brunch is also where Eilish finally responded to the Van Halen controversy and threw some shade at Jimmy Kimmel, saying, “Thank you for not making me look stupid, like everybody else wants to do on TV. Love that.”
Watch the interview above.
