Billie Eilish hits out at ‘bodyshaming’ Daily Mail critique of her Vogue cover

‘Proof that women can change their minds and reclaim autonomy over their own bodies’

Billie Eilish has hit out at a body shaming headline that accused her of “selling out” following her viral BritishVogue cover shoot, by sharing a meme on her Instagram story.

The singer posted an edited image of a Daily Mail headline that said: “Proof that money can make you change your values and ‘sell out’: Billie Eilish shocks fans by swapping baggy clothes for lingerie in Vogue — despite years of vowing to ‘hide her body.’”

The meme was created by English broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Clarkson’s daughter Emily and has gone viral on the internet.

The meme replaced the damaging headline with: “Proof that women can change their minds and reclaim autonomy over their own bodies. Billie Eilish shocks fans by swapping baggy clothes for lingerie inVogue— despite years of being an actual child.”

Ms Clarkson wrote on Instagram: “oop, fixed it for ya. Honestly, where do you start on this?? We collectively GASPED at the strength emanating from Billie in those vogue images. Full fu**ing POWER a woman standing up with total body autonomy and showing herself to the world in the way that SHE wanted to.”

“She hid her body for years because she didn’t want to be sexualised. She made this decision when she was a CHILD. Because she knew what grownups can be like. These decisions are ones we have all made - “school skirts mustn't be too short or else they’ll distract the boys!!” She went to those lengths because she had to,” Ms Clarkson wrote.

“But this society - this perverted, fu**ed up place, couldn’t let that be and they hounded her until they got photos of her body which they published without her consent. Those photos BLEW UP! The news was everywhere. Woman has body!!! It was like she asked us not to sexualise her and they took it as a challenge.”

She stated how Eilish is a “legal adult” and is allowed to make decisions “because that’s what grown-ups do.”

She highlighted the usage of the word “vow” in Mail Online’s (now changed) headline, by stating how the newspaper is “implying she’s committing some mortal sin and letting her fans down.”

“I didn’t wanna be sexualised in my school uniform (it happened anyway) but because of that I’m not allowed to ever claim any autonomy over my own body or embrace any sort of femininity?? What an extraordinary way to manipulate quite a reasonable request. This society is nuts. Keep an eye on it,” she concluded.

English actress Jameela Jamil also supported Eilish by tweeting: “You can’t sell out when you’ve already OUTSOLD the entire planet. She was an icon in her pyjamas and she’s simply STILL an icon now that she’s switched to lingerie,” with a screenshot of the Daily Mail headline.

The 19-year-old “Your Power” singer chose to wear a corset, stockings, and a Burberry trench coat for the shoot, with her green-coloured hair replaced by a platinum blonde.

In the Vogue interview, she spoke about body shaming. “My thing is that I can do whatever I want,” she said.

“It’s all about what makes you feel good. If you want to get surgery, go get surgery. If you want to wear a dress that somebody thinks that you look too big wearing, f**k it – if you feel like you look good, you look good.”

“Suddenly you’re a hypocrite if you want to show your skin, and you’re easy and you’re a slut and you’re a whore. If I am, then I’m proud. Me and all the girls are hoes, and f**k it, y’know? Let’s turn it around and be empowered in that. Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.” she said.