Billie Eilish Tearfully Reveals She Has 'Never Really Felt Beautiful': 'Being A Woman Is Hard'

Billie Eilish recently opened up about body image struggles, revealing she never saw herself as beautiful and found early fame confusing.

The famous singer shared that her shift to veganism began with body insecurities but deepened after learning about animal cruelty.

Billie Eilish has also revealed that she once hated her name "Billie," wishing for something more feminine, until embracing its uniqueness and discovering actress Billie Piper.

Eilish got candid about her struggles with body image and self-perception during her feature in British Vogue's May issue, where she

The 23-year-old singer was invited to respond to a series of questions submitted by fellow celebrities, one of which struck a particularly sensitive chord.

Rapper Nicki Minaj posed a heartfelt question, asking, "This may be an odd question, but you seem to be a bit uncomfortable with how beautiful you are at times. I could be wrong."

Minaj continued: "Many women from all walks of life have felt that their work was overshadowed by their beauty or their physical attributes. Was there ever a time in your career, or before you made it, when you wished people couldn't see you and that they could only hear the music and really get a chance to just listen to the written words?"

After seeing this, the "Ocean Eyes" hitmaker admitted the question moved her to tears.

"This question made me tear up a little," Eilish said. "'Well… like you said at the beginning of that question, I've never really felt very beautiful or seen myself in that way, so I definitely never struggled with the idea that it would overshadow anything since I didn't even really see it myself."

She went on to reflect on the broader challenges that come with being a woman in the public eye, saying, "I've had to really convince myself that I am beautiful. Being a woman is hard."

The topic of beauty resurfaced again when designer Stella McCartney asked Eilish about her journey to veganism.

The 23-year-old revealed that while she initially committed to being vegetarian, she eventually transitioned to veganism, but not for the reasons people might assume.

"I hated my body, and I thought I would lose weight," she admitted.

However, after learning "about the dairy industry and the completely horrific and disturbing animal agriculture that we all just pretend is normal and OK," her motivations shifted.

She went on to say that while everyone has the right to make their own choices, the disconnect around animal cruelty baffles her.

"Everyone's allowed to do and eat whatever they want. But the misconception that it isn't completely, unreasonably inhumane to abuse and slaughter animals just for the pleasure of something that tastes good is silly and thoughtless to me," Eilish explained.

She pointed out the double standards society often holds: "People hear about a dog being abused or eaten, and they're so upset by it, but then will eat literally any other animal that was raised in captivity, abused and slaughtered and not even think twice about it. Purr, b-tch."

Actress and writer Michaela Coel also posed a thought-provoking question, asking how Eilish continues to grow as a person while staying true to who she is.

Reflecting on her younger self, Eilish said, "I had no idea [when I was younger] that I was doing anything fearlessly. When I would hear people comment that I was only 16 and not fitting in with the stereotype — that I was a rebel or whatever — I remember being really confused because I didn't see it that way."

She explained: "I just felt like I was doing what I thought was cool. I was not intentionally trying to break any mold or rules or change music. I kind of just stayed true to what I liked and what I wanted."

As Eilish became more famous, things became more complicated for her.

"But the older I get, there really have been many periods of doubt and fear," the singer admitted. "And feeling so much pressure, and then when more people knew me, more people had something to say."

Still, Eilish credits her inner strength for helping her stay grounded through it all.

She said, "It was hard to remember to trust myself or even believe in myself sometimes. It's still a process. I think I'm doing pretty good. I've also always been very strong-willed and very much myself, so I do think that plays a part."

When Idris Elba asked Eilish how she felt about her name growing up, the singer didn't hold back.

"I absolutely hated my name when I was a kid," she admitted. "I thought Billie was a boy's name. That's all I ever heard every day of my life."

The two-time Oscar winner recalled longing for something more traditionally feminine.

"I remember just being so mad, and all I wanted was to have a girly name, like Violet or Lavender, some sort of, you know, pretty flowery name," she continued.

But over time, everything shifted: "It's so funny because now there's no other name in the universe that could be my name besides Billie. I love my name so, so, so much. It really is the only possible choice for who I am."

Eilish shared that she was named after her grandfather, William, but it wasn't until she discovered Billie Piper on "Doctor Who" that she began to embrace it.

"The first female Billie I think I knew of was Billie Piper, from 'Doctor Who,'" she said. "I loved 'Doctor Who,' so I was very, very excited about that. But then, at the same time, I was jealous and mad because I was like, 'Why would anybody say my name and mean someone else? Unacceptable!"