Billie Eilish discusses taking diet pills at 12 and ‘starving herself’

‘I remember taking a pill that told me that it would make me lose weight and it only made me pee the bed,’ recalls Eilish

(Getty Images)

Billie Eilish has opened up about her "horrible" relationship with her body, admitting she took diet pills aged just 12.

The singer, 19, who has won five Grammy’s in the past year, is celebrated for her music as well as her signature style, once saying she wears baggy clothes so that people can’t “judge her body”.

However last year photographs of the teenager dressed in a vest top and shorts emerged online, and trolls were quick to comment on Eilish’s figure.

Speaking to Vanity Fair about the experience, Eilish said: “I think that the people around me were more worried about it than I was, because the reason I used to cut myself was because of my body. To be quite honest with you, I only started wearing baggy clothes because of my body.”

Describing the growth she's had with her body image, Eilish, who has an auditory processing disorder and was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome, said she now has a healthier mindset compared to her earlier teen years.

"I was really, really glad though, mainly, that I’m in this place in my life, because if that had happened three years ago, when I was in the midst of my horrible body relationship — or dancing a ton, five years ago, I wasn’t really eating. I was, like, starving myself," she said. 

"I remember taking a pill that told me that it would make me lose weight and it only made me pee the bed — when I was 12. It’s just crazy."

Eilish admitted she never expected her body to be something people on social media would discuss, whether seeing her as a champion for body positivity or critiquing her shape and the way she chooses to dress.

"I thought that I would be the only one dealing with my hatred for my body, but I guess the internet also hates my body," she added. "So that’s great.”

It’s not the first time Eilish has discussed her body image as well as her clothing choices.

The singer previously spoke about body-shaming with GQ, telling the magazine that she typically dresses in baggy clothing because she doesn’t “like to think of you guys judging my body.”

“I dress the way I dress as I don’t like to think of you guys - I mean anyone, everyone - judging it, or the size of it,” she said at the time.

“But that doesn’t mean that I won’t wake up one day and decide to wear a tank top, which I have done before.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.