Four-time Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish has revealed that exposure to violent pornography from the age of 11 destroyed her brain and left her “devastated” and haunted by nightmares.
The singer, who is famously reticent about her own sexuality, told US radio station SiriusXM, “I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest. I started watching porn when I was like 11.”
Eilish explained to host Howard Stern, “I think it really destroyed by brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn.”
Talking about how watching pornography affected her own early sexual experiences, she continued, “I was not saying no to things what were not good. It was because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be attracted to.”
The No Time To Die singer, known for wearing baggy clothing to avoid her body being sexualised, grew up in Los Angeles and was homeschooled by her parents. The subject of pornography is referenced in the track Male Fantasy on her latest album Happier Than Ever.
In 2020 Eilish became the youngest artist in history to win four Grammys in the same year when she walked off with gongs for Best New Artist, Best Record, Best Song and Album of the Year.
UNICEF has said that early age exposure to pornography can “lead to poor mental health, sexism, and objectification, sexual violence, and other negative outcomes.”
If you are in the UK and are concerned about a child being exposed to inappropriate online sexual content, visit stopitnow.org.uk
