Billie Eilish has addressed the racism allegations made against her after she was filmed using a slur in a resurfaced video.
The resurfaced clips made their way onto TikTok on Monday, June 14, and featured the popular singer using the word "ch*nk" - a slur used to refer to those of Asian descent, as well as seemingly mocking black people.
The clip prompted widespread backlash on social media, with many calling for the 19-year-old to be "canceled" and others demanding that she justifies her behavior.
The date of the clips remains unknown.
Watch the controversial clips below:Eilish has now taken to Instagram Story to address the clips and explain that the slur was used in reference to Tyler the Creator's 2011 song 'Fish', per People Magazine.
"I love you guys, and many of you have been asking me to address this. And this is something I WANT to address because I'm being labeled something that I am not," Eilish began.
Addressing the clip, she wrote: "There's a video edit going around of me when I was 13 or 14 where I mouthed a word from a song that at the time I didn't know was a derogatory term used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word.
"This song is the only time I'd ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family," Eilish continued. "Regardless of the ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry."
She then addressed the other part of the viral video, which many interpreted as her mocking Asian people, something she said was a part of a "gibberish voice" that she has used her "whole life".
"The other video in that edited clip is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice… something I started doing as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family," Eilish said. "It is absolutely gibberish and just me goofing around, and is in NO way imitation of anyone or any language, accent, or culture in the SLIGHTEST.
"Anyone who knows me has seen me goofing around with voices my whole life," she said.
"Regardless of how it was interpreted I did not mean for any of my actions to have caused hurt to others and it absolutely breaks my heart that it is being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it."
Eilish concluded her statement by encouraging her fans to have difficult conversations like this one in order to improve.
