Billie Eilish Opens Up About Friendship Struggles Amid Fame

During a recent episode of the BBC's "Miss Me?" podcast, Billie Eilish, now 22 years old, revealed the challenges she faced with friendships when she skyrocketed to fame as a teenager.

The singer-songwriter shared that her friendships suffered a significant blow when she became a star. "Well, I lost all of my friends when I got famous," Eilish told co-hosts Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver. "I suddenly was famous and I couldn’t relate to anybody. It was tough. It was really hard."

Eilish's journey began at the age of 14 when her hit song "Ocean Eyes" gained immense popularity, followed by her debut EP just two years later.

Despite the turbulence, Eilish noted that her best friend, Zoe, remained steadfast by her side. "She’s pretty much the only person that remained," Eilish shared.

The Grammy-winning artist recalled a surreal moment at her 20th birthday party when she realized that her only "friends" were actually her employees. "I remember looking around the room, and it was only people that I employ," she recalled. "And all 15 years or more older than me."

Acknowledging her fear of loss and abandonment issues, Eilish expressed being traumatized after a former employee quit abruptly and cut off contact. "Calling it the worst thing that happened to me," she said, it made her confront the possibility of actual loneliness.

Following this experience, Eilish distanced herself emotionally from her work relationships, leading to a peculiar dynamic in her interactions with colleagues.

However, Eilish shared that she has actively worked on building new friendships and rekindling old ones since last year. She recounted a touching moment at the Coachella festival in April when she became emotional thinking about 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?'" Eilish recalled. "And I was like, totally fine … And I burst into tears. 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."

Eilish's candid reflections shed light on the complexities of fame and the profound impact it can have on personal relationships, highlighting the importance of genuine connections in navigating the music industry.