Originally appeared on E! Online
Billie Eilish is clarifying that did in fact come out publicly.
The Grammy winner has confirmed that she did so in her recent Variety Power of Women cover story, during which she said she was attracted to women.
When asked by Variety at its 2023 Hitmakers event Dec. 2 if she meant to come out in the November interview, the singer responded, "No, I didn't, but I kinda thought, wasn't it obvious?" I didn't realize people didn't know."
Eilish added that she didn't really "believe in" coming out, adding, "I'm just like, why can't we just exist? I've been doing this for a long time and I just didn't talk about it. I saw the article and I was like, 'Oh, I guess I came out today.' OK, cool. It's exciting to me because I guess people didn't know, so it's cool that they know. Ooh, I'm nervous talking about it. But no, I am for the girls."
The 21-year-old also said, regarding her thoughts about women, "I'm still scared of them but I think they're pretty."
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Billie Eilish's Most Relatable Moments
Entertainment News
Eilish attended the Hitmakers event with her brother FINNEAS, who both collected the award for Film Song of the Year for "What Was I Made For" from the "Barbie" soundtrack.
In her Variety Power of Women interview, the singer, who previously dated "The Neighbourhood" frontman Jesse Rutherford—had said, "I have deep connections with women in my life, the friends in my life, the family in my life. I'm physically attracted to them. But I'm also so intimidated by them and their beauty and their presence."
Eilish continued, "I love them as people. I'm attracted to them as people. I'm attracted to them for real."
She also said she'd "never felt like a woman" or feminine herself, although she identifies as "she/her."
Days after the interview was published, Eilish reflected on her feelings about her gender identity while giving a tearful speech at Variety's Power of Women event in Los Angeles.
"It's really hard to be a woman out here guys," she said at the Nov. 16 gala. "I have never felt truly like a woman. And I've spent a lot of my life not feeling like I fit in to being a woman."
She continued, "For a couple years, because of that insecurity, I became almost like very 'pick me' about it and I'd be like, 'Well, I'm not like other girls 'cause I don't do this and this, and I've grown to be very resentful of that period of time because I'm so much more interested in being like other girls, because other girls are f------ tight and I love women."
