In a surprising turn of events, Grammy-winning musician Billie Eilish has seen a substantial decline in her Instagram followers since publicly opening up about her sexuality last month. Eilish, known for her chart-topping hits and critical acclaim, first hinted at her attraction to women and later confirmed it during a red carpet interview. Despite her global fame and talent, it appears that her coming out journey has come at a cost, with approximately 100,000 Instagram users unfollowing her.
During an interview with Variety on November 13th, Eilish candidly shared her experiences and feelings, expressing that she had difficulty relating to women in the past. She admitted, “I never felt like I could relate to girls very well. I love them so much. I love them as people. I’m attracted to them as people. I’m attracted to them for real.” Despite her deep connections with women in her life, Eilish also revealed that she felt intimidated by their beauty and presence.
Since that interview, Eilish’s follower count has dropped by six figures, currently standing at 110,200,603 as of December 3rd. This significant loss underscores the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals often face when coming out, even for someone as prominent as Billie Eilish.
Of the 100,000 followers who unfollowed Eilish, nearly 45,000 did so after she reaffirmed her coming out during a red carpet interview at Variety’s Hitmakers event. When asked about her intention to come out, Eilish responded, “I kind of thought, ‘Wasn’t it obvious?’ I didn’t realize people didn’t know. I just don’t really believe in it. I’m just like, ‘Why can’t we just exist?’ But it’s exciting to me because I guess people didn’t know. I am for the girls.”
While losing 100,000 followers may not significantly impact Eilish’s vast following, it raises questions about the reactions of fans to a simple revelation about her identity. Some argue that these followers may not have been true fans to begin with, and their departure could be seen as a form of self-selection.
This is not the first time Eilish has faced a massive loss of followers in a short span. Two years ago, she unexpectedly lost 100,000 followers after a British Vogue cover shoot in which she wore a corset. Reflecting on that experience, Eilish remarked, “I lost 100,000 followers just because of boobs. People are scared of big boobs.” Despite these fluctuations, Eilish maintains a strong Instagram following of 110 million supporters who appreciate her for her talent and authenticity, regardless of her sexuality or appearance.
