Billie Eilish: Social media comments were ruining my life

Billie Eilish arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Billie Eilish has had to stop reading the comments on her Instagram (AP)

Billie Eilish has said she stopped reading comments on Instagram because, “it was ruining [her] life”.

The 18-year-old singer - who has been propelled into the spotlight, winning five Grammy awards and singing the new James Bond theme No Time To Die - admitted she recently had to stop looking at what people were writing about her on social media.

Asked by the BBC if she read Instagram comments, Eilish said: “No, no I stopped like two days ago. Literally two days ago. I stopped reading comments fully. Because it was ruining my life. Once again.”

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Her brother Finneas O'Connell, 22, with whom she writes her music, said: “I think you might see someone like a famous celebrity and you may think, ‘Sticks and stones, nothing I say is going to be potent to them…’ but it’s all very equal online.”

Eilish added: “It’s worse, it’s way worse than it’s ever been right now.”

Former child star Justin Bieber, 25, said in a recent interview that he was concerned for Eilish and wanted to protect her.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Billie Eilish with her brother Finneas O'Connell (Getty Images)

In a tearful interview the Sorry singer said: “Let her do her thing. If she ever needs me I’m going to be here for her.

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“Just protecting those moments because people take for granted encounters and…I just want to protect her, you know. I don’t want her to lose it.”

Eilish shared pictures of her teenage bedroom on Instagram revealing she used to be a Bieber fan, known as Beliebers.