Singer and songwriter Billie Eilish’s massive platform has provided her the opportunity to do more vegan advocacy than we could ever hope to accomplish in our lifetimes. The international celebrity turns 21 on December 18, and we’re celebrating with a swirl of Yoga-urt’s Chocolate Bliss and Peanut Butter Prana vegan fro-yo (Eilish’s favorite combo) and a long list of all the reasons we love her for more than just her soulful music. But before we get into that, let’s learn a little more about the singer and how she first rose to fame.
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How did Billie Eilish become famous?
Eilish is so popular now (she has more than 107 million followers on Instagram, no less), it feels like she has been in the public eye forever. But it was in 2015, when she was just 14 years old, that she started to gain global recognition for her musical talent.
She uploaded a song called “Ocean Eyes,” written by her brother Finneas O’Connell, to Soundcloud so her dance teacher could listen to it. To her surprise, the song was an instant hit and went viral on social media overnight. Seven years later, she has released an EP; two record-breaking albums, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” and “Happier Than Ever;” and even recorded the James Bond theme song “No Time to Die.”
Why Billie Eilish is a good role model
Throughout all of her success, Eilish has kept her values intact. She is open about mental health and body confidence and has spoken out about the need for more realistic role models when it comes to celebrity culture.
Last year, for example, she told i-D: “The problem is when people have unattainable role models, or dream of an unattainable life, or an unattainable face and an unattainable body, and that’s not healthy, for kids especially. We’re all real people.”
She is also passionate about the environment and cares deeply about animals. So, without further ado, from launching a vegan chocolate bar to convincing an iconic fashion designer to ditch fur for good, here are 11 ways Billie Eilish is an absolute vegan gem.
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1 She went vegan when she was 12 years old
No doubt influenced by her mom, Maggie Baird, an activist and celebrity in her own right, Eilish told Vogue that she went vegan at the age of 12. After learning about the atrocities of the meat and dairy industries, she couldn’t erase this dismal reality from her mind. It takes a special 12-year-old to make that connection, and we’re so glad she did.
2 She’s recruiting new vegans
Eilish has said that she doesn’t want to tell others what to do, but she’s also not shy about her veganism, and she’ll speak out when appropriate. As a response to the horrors leaked from the Fair Oaks Farm undercover investigation, which revealed extreme incidents of animal abuse, the then-teenager took to social media and didn’t sugarcoat her opinion.
To her then 26 million Instagram followers she captioned, “I keep my mouth shut most of the time about this because I believe everyone should do, eat, and say whatever they want … and I don’t feel the need to shove what I believe in, in anyone’s face, but man … if you can watch the videos that I just posted and not give a f*ck that it’s you contributing by literally eating the creatures that are being fully tortured just for your pleasure, I feel sorry for you.”
“I understand that meat tastes good … and I know you think you’re just one person and it won’t change anything if you stop but that’s ignorant and stupid,” she continued. “If you have half a brain, you should know ‘one person’ adds up. Be smarter.”
Tanya Flink
3 She makes fantastic vegan cookies
We know because we’ve tried ‘em. With just seven pantry ingredients, the star somehow conjured vegan magic and created surprisingly good peanut butter chocolate chunk vegan cookies—that just happen to be gluten-free. Don’t believe us? Try the recipe for yourself. There’s no excuse not to because you probably have the ingredients on hand.
4
She’s been on SNL twice
First, as a musical guest in 2019 and most recently as host and musical guest on December 11, 2021, Eilish has graced the Saturday Night Live stage more in her 20 years than many entertainers twice her age. While she admitted to several media outlets she was extremely nervous to host, we thoroughly enjoyed the episode and loved how she didn’t take herself too seriously, even when she let out a few unintentional snickers.
5 She took to Capitol Hill to support a federal vegan school lunch program
The Grammy winner is no stranger to using her platform for good, so it was no surprise when she took a detour from her world tour in support of the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act—proposed legislation that would make plant-based school meals more accessible to students nationwide. “I’m proud to advocate for this legislation that will help to fight climate change, combat food insecurity, and promote health equity,” Eilish said.
Oscar de la Renta
6
She convinced Oscar de la Renta to ditch fur
This feat alone could amount to any vegan nonprofit’s lifetime of work. How’d the young influencer pull it off? She gave Alex Bolden—Oscar de la Renta’s chief executive—an ultimatum. She would wear their designer gown to the 2021 star-studded Met Gala on the condition that the brand ditch fur completely. Bolden obliged, and Eilish stunned the gala wearing a gorgeous, completely vegan nude tulle gown with a 15-foot train.
7 She turned London’s O2 arena vegan
If anyone can transform an entire arena into a vegan food-only haven, it’s Eilish. In honor of Overheated, the singer’s six-day climate action event, the O2 arena removed all animal products. Attendees were anything but disappointed as Impossible Foods surpassed expectations with plant-based entrées such as Impossible Sausage Kofta and Impossible Chicken Parmigiana.
8 She partnered with Nike to create vegan kicks
A fan of Nike’s Air Jordans since she was a young kid, Eilish worked with the brand to create a vegan offshoot of this classic style. Made with 20-percent recycled materials, Eilish’s branded Jordans come in two colors—which perhaps not so coincidentally match her hair colors. One, Ghost Green, represents Eilish’s past neon-green shade; the other, a nude taupe, matches her recent platinum look.
Billie Eilish Fragrances
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Her vegan perfumes smell amazing
Looking for a gift? Eilish’s sweet-yet-spicy vegan perfume might just be it. Launched in the fall of 2021, the celeb had a hand in everything from the fragrance notes to the bottle design. We’ve had a whiff and think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its complexity—this is certainly not the cloyingly sweet perfume one would expect from a 19-year-old.
But if you prefer something a little more sultry, the singer released another vegan perfume in November 2022, called Eilish 2.0. It features notes of palo santo, ebony, Italian bergamot, apple blossom, papyrus, black pepper, and wild wet poppy flowers.
10
She has her own vegan chocolate bar
If given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want their own line of vegan chocolate? As a limited-time promotion for her latest work Happier Than Ever, Eilish lent the album’s name to a vegan and organic, 35-percent cacao milk chocolate bar. The sweet confection promptly sold out but it’s back in stock to satisfy your chocolaty cravings.
Happier Than Ever Tour
11She’s a giver
We have to assume that Eilish inherited her giving spirit from her mother. From supporting the now national vegan hunger relief initiative, Support+Feed, to dropping off flowers and plant-based doughnuts to essential workers on Mother’s Day, Eilish seems to take every opportunity she can to give back and spread a little vegan and environmental joy. And we’re not the only ones to notice. Alongside Baird, she was recently honored with the Environmental Media Association Missions in Music Award. Ahead of receiving the award, her mother said: “I’m so proud that Billie uses her voice to inspire a younger audience and advocate for change.”
Her fame continues to grow, but it’s nice to know that Eilish keeps herself grounded not only by giving money, but precious time, to those in need, from people to the animals to the planet.
For more about Billie Eilish, read:
Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
