Billie Eilish arrives at the Variety 2021 Music Hitmakers Brunch at City Market Social on Saturday in Los Angeles. Agence France-Presse

Singer Billie Eilish used to struggle with anxiety disorder, which causes people to avoid places or situations that may trigger panic, but she no longer gets freaked out in public places. Speaking to Vanity Fair, she said: “I’m starting to have an adulthood which is new for me, and very exciting, and I have had new experiences and new people and lots of love.

“My attitude used to be like, ‘I can’t go out, I can’t go here, I can’t go there.’… I wasn’t able to go to a park or go get coffee, It freaked me out. But in the last year I opened up to it.” Eilish used to be known for her signature black and green hairdo, but she credits going blonde with helping her deal with the disorder, reports femalefirst.co.uk. She explained: “If I’m being cautious and not trying to be in everybody’s faces, it’s cool … I didn’t used to be able to do that because my pride was too huge.

I was like, ‘I only want to be seen if I look like myself.’ So I would never wear anything normal.” The Grammy-winner said she no longer cares if people hate her. She said: “I feel a lot of pressure, but back then I was more loved — I was pretty overall loved, to be honest. And I was scared because I wanted to keep that love. But now tonnes of people hate me, so I’m not worried anymore. If you like me, you like me, and if you don’t, you don’t.” Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, has helped her deal with the ups and downs of fame.

The “My Future” hitmaker, who writes all her music with her 24-year-old musician-and-producer sibling, Finneas, added: “I guess I turn to my mom, honestly, the most in this period. “She’s new to this just as I am, meaning fame, and this kind of world, but my mom has a very good way of looking at the world and she is the main person that I go to. Literally maybe the only person that I go to.”

Earlier this month, Eilish joined other celebrities such as Joaquin Phoenix, Ricky Gervais, Dave Bautista, and Margaret Cho in signing a petition requesting President Joe Biden allow this year’s pardoned turkey to stay at Farm Sanctuary, reports femalefirst.co.uk. There, animals can “live out their lives in peace and safety,” the petition stated. Farm Sanctuary said in a letter: “As we approach the holiday season — meant to be a time of gratitude and goodwill - we hope you’ll accept our offer to provide sanctuary and the best life possible for pardoned turkeys.”

The singer also shared her recipe for vegan and gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with fans on Instagram shortly before the holiday season kicked off. She captioned a video tutorial: “These cookies are fully vegan and GF and AMAZING. The flour is literally just oats blended up and they work perfectly.”

Indo-Asian News Service