Billie Eilish reveals she has Tourette Syndrome

28 November 2018, 17:30 | Updated: 3 April 2019, 11:35

Billie Eilish
Picture: Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)/Getty
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

The singer opened up about having Tourette Syndrome in an Instagram post.

Billie Eilish opened up on Instagram this week, revealing to fans that she has Tourette Syndrome. The 16-year-old singer posted a note for her 9 million Instagram followers to read. In it, she explained her decision to reveal her Tourette syndrome diagnosis and opened up about why she hasn't spoken about it previously.

Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - November 5, 2018
Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - November 5, 2018. Picture: Getty

"I have diagnosed Tourettes," she wrote. "I've never mentioned it on the internet because nobody thinks I'm deadass."

The NHS lists Tourette's syndrome as "a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics". Billie goes on to say that Tourette syndrome is something she "grew up with" and is used to.

Billie Eilish Instagram post Tourette
Picture: Billie Eilish Instagram/Screenshot

"My tics are only physical and not super noticeable to others if you're not really paying attention," Billie wrote in the post.

Billie also explained that certain things can "increase and/or trigger the intensity" of her tics and that, over the years, she has taught herself ways of suppressing them.

Recently, fans have been posting compilation videos of her facial tics on YouTube, which she also addresses in the post.

"These compilations ya'll been making of my tics are lowkey funny even when ya'll make fun of them n shit. I know you're all confused so as to what it is, so just to let ya know..it's Tourettes."

Billie said she wasn't going to get into "FULL detail" but told fans that she is "an open book."

Billie Eilish notes
Picture: Billie Eilish/Instagram