Billie Eilish, the globally renowned singer, recently shared her personal experiences with the struggles of maintaining friendships after skyrocketing to fame at the young age of 14. In a candid discussion on the BBC’s “Miss Me?” podcast, hosted by Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver, the 22-year-old artist opened up about the challenging times she faced as her career took off.
Eilish recounted the dramatic shift in her social life following the viral success of her breakout hit “Ocean Eyes.” She noted that the sudden fame created a disconnect between her and her peers. “I lost all of my friends when I got famous,” Eilish revealed. “I suddenly was famous and I couldn’t relate to anybody. It was tough. It was really hard.”
Despite the overwhelming changes, Eilish mentioned that her best friend, Zoe, remained a constant in her life. “She’s pretty much the only person that remained,” Eilish said, highlighting the strength and importance of their enduring friendship.
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Reflecting on her journey, Eilish recalled a poignant moment at her 20th birthday party. Surrounded by her employees, all significantly older than her, she realized the extent of her isolation. “I remember looking around the room, and it was only people that I employ,” she said. “And all 15 years or more older than me.”
Eilish also shared her struggles with abandonment issues, recounting a particularly traumatic experience when a former employee left without any contact. This incident, described as the “worst thing that happened to me,” amplified her fears of being truly alone and affected her interactions with colleagues. “Since then, I’ve become very distant in that way from people that I work with, and I have a very weird relationship to being friendly with people that I work with,” she admitted.
However, Billie Eilish has made significant strides in rebuilding her social circle over the past year. She spoke about her efforts to reconnect with old friends and forge new relationships. A particularly emotional moment occurred during the Coachella festival in April, where she was overwhelmed with gratitude for her newfound friends.
“I got in the car after this party and I was sitting there, and my friends were like, ‘What’s going on? Are you OK?’ And I was like, totally fine … And I burst into tears,” Eilish recalled. “I was like, guys, I have friends, and I just love you guys so much, and it’s been so long since I’ve had friends. I cried … and it’s literally because I actually have friendship now again.”
Billie Eilish’s story is a touching reminder of the personal sacrifices that often accompany public success. Despite the challenges, she continues to work on nurturing genuine connections, proving that true friendship can endure even in the face of fame’s isolating glare.