Billie Eilish

Lars Crommelinck Photography / Flickr

Billie Eilish defends her friendship with Drake

'Everybody's so sensitive.'

 

Nahila Bonfiglio

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Posted on Feb 4, 2020   Updated on May 19, 2021, 4:21 pm CDT

Billie Eilish is correcting the record.

Several months ago, fans of the 18-year-old singer were upset to learn that she and 33-year-old rapper Drake were exchanging texts. People online found the idea of an adult initiating contact with a teenager to be creepy, particularly considering his history of doing so with other underaged stars. In a recent interview with Vogue, however, Eilish came to Drake’s defense.

A 2019 interview with Vanity Fair revealed that Eilish and Drake were texting buddies. “Drake is, like, the nicest dude I’ve ever spoken to,” she said. “I mean, I’ve only, like, texted him, but he’s so nice.”

The following social media frenzy targeted and condemned Drake for what many saw as creepy behavior. Skepticism regarding Drake’s intentions was escalated, in part, by his earlier interactions with Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown. Then 14-year-old Brown told Access in 2018 that Drake occasionally offered her dating advice. A year later, Eilish revealed that she and Drake were also texting buddies, and the internet was concerned.

In response to the wave of negativity her revelations prompted, Eilish jumped to Drake’s defense. “The internet is such a stupid-ass mess right now,” she said. “Everybody’s so sensitive. A grown man can’t be a fan of an artist? … There are so many people that the internet should be more worried about. Like, you’re really going to say that Drake is creepy because he’s a fan of mine, and then you’re going to go vote for Trump? What the fuck is that shit?”

Eilish recently became the first woman, and the youngest person, to ever win a Grammy from all four major categories in the same year. During her acceptance speech, she gushed over her family, friends, and the other nominees. “I never thought this would ever happen in my whole life. I grew up watching [the Grammy’s.] And this is my brother, Finneas, and he’s my best friend,” she said. “I feel like I joke around a lot, and I never take anything seriously at these kinds of things, but I genuinely want to say I’m so grateful.”

Drake has not responded to criticism that he’s too old to be texting teen pop stars.

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*First Published: Feb 4, 2020, 9:30 am CST