Billie Eilish Unfollows Justin Bieber Amid Abuse Allegations
Pop superstar Billie Eilish has unfollowed close to 600 people on her public Instagram account. The observation has come as a surprise to many, and the question being asked is: “Why?”
Sometime yesterday, Billie Eilish took to her Instagram stories to make public her support for victims of sexual abuse and assault. The post on her story read: “If I am following your abuser, DM me and I will unfollow them. I support you”.
What may have begun with good intentions, quickly spiralled into a heated discourse on Twitter. Fans, followers and observers of Billie Eilish were quick to call out the singer for following the likes of Ansel Elgort, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and the late XXXTENTACION, who have all been accused of sexual assault.
Moments after the story began to receive heat, Billie Eilish took down the post from her Instagram stories and began a mass evacuation of her follower list on Instagram. Fans noticed that the number, which originally stood at 600, started dropping swiftly. The final number now stands at 0.
Ansel Elgort was accused of sexually abusing a 17 year old, while Justin Bieber has faced two sexual assault allegations this past week. The late XXXTENTACION confessed to assaulting his then pregnant girlfriend and Chris Brown has been publicly exposed for assaulting his then girlfriend, Rihanna. At the time of her post, Billie Eilish was following all of the above.
The situation becomes even more context-ridden when you acknowledge that Billie Eilish is a self-proclaimed fan of many of these celebrities. She was a close friend of rapper XXXTENTACION and even posted a heartfelt message mourning his death. She has also expressed her love for Justin Bieber publicly. She even featured in an emotional segment of his recent documentary: “Seasons“.
Fan reactions to the move have been mixed. While some praise Billie Eilish for acknowledging her oversight, many believe there shouldn’t have been one in the first place.
By: Ahalya Narayanan
