After Billie Eilish’s Nov. 22 interview on Jimmy Kimmel went viral — after he asked if she knew who Van Halen is, to which she said no — fans think she just shaded the talk show host for making her ‘look stupid’ on TV!
Did Billie Eilish just call out Jimmy Kimmel? for making her look stupid on TV? — That’s what many fans are saying after her cryptic speech at Variety‘s Hitmakers Event in Hollywood on Saturday, December 7. After accepting the annual event’s highest honor, “Hitmaker of the Year,” Billie seemed to throw shade at the veteran talk show host.
“Thank you so much, Variety — thank you for not making me look stupid like everybody else wants to do on TV — love that,” Billie, 17 began her speech before she thanked our sister site, Variety, along with her team. Even those in attendance at the ceremony believed she’d taken a jab at Kimmel.
Billie’s presumed dig at the late night host came after her interview on his show went viral for all the wrong reasons. Jimmy quizzed Billie about her knowledge of ’80s music, and when he asked if she knew who Van Halen is, she replied, “Who?” — Clearly unknowledgeable of the legendary rock band, which formed in 1972. However, Billie wasn’t even close to being born during the band’s active years.
However, that didn’t stop internet trolls from dragging Billie for not knowing who Van Halen is. The clip from the interview sparked backlash online, with some critics questioning the singer’s credibility in the music industry. Nonetheless, not all reactions were negative.
Wolf Van Halen, 28, the current Van Halen bassist and son of the band’s founder/guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, tweeted his support for Billie, writing, “If you haven’t heard of @billieeilish, go check her out. She’s cool. If you haven’t heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. They’re cool too. Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and don’t shame others for not knowing what you like.”
As the mystery about the true meaning behind Billie’s speech continues, other fans took to Twitter to defend Kimmel, who they claimed tried to support Billie. After she admitted to not knowing who Van Halen is, Kimmel responded, “If you asked me questions about 1943, I probably wouldn’t know the answers either.” Nor Billie or Kimmel have addressed the drama directly.