How Billie Eilish Candidly Confirmed Her Split From Jesse Rutherford
Billie Eilish is used to grabbing the headlines for her record-breaking music career and unique style. Still, in 2022, her relationship with Jesse Rutherford unwittingly thrust her into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Eilish and Rutherford called it quits after just six months of dating. However, they faced a barrage of criticism during their time together.
Eilish was 20 and Rutherford was 30 when they were first linked in October 2022. The romantic jig was up after a fan posted a TikTok video showing the couple leaving a haunted maze in Los Angeles. "OMG, I just saw Billie Eilish at Horror Nights," the video overlay reads. Set to Eilish's hit, "Bad Guy," she and Rutherford are seen holding hands as they stroll out of the maze at Universal Studios Hollywood. The "Eyelashes" — Eilish's fans — were not impressed. "Why is everyone so hyped about Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford? It literally makes my skin crawl. That is not a good age gap guys," a concerned fan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in October 2022.
Eilish and Rutherford went social media official on November 1, 2022, when she posted a carousel of pics from Halloween on Instagram. They included a photo of The Neighbourhood vocalist clad in a giant pumpkin outfit and a video of him in full clown regalia. It was a soft launch of their relationship, which seemingly remained relatively drama-free right up until Eilish confirmed she'd split from Rutherford in August 2023.
From fashionistas to friends
Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford caught some serious heat over their 10-year age gap. However, the couple couldn't have cared less. They poked fun at detractors by dressing as a baby and a senior citizen for Halloween. Eilish posted a since-deleted pic of their get-up on her Instagram in November 2022.
The Eyelash brigade didn't have to wait long for another couple pic, though. Eilish and Rutherford made their red carpet debut days later at the 2022 LACMA gala. They were clad in matching Gucci monogrammed PJs, huddled together under a giant logo-embossed comforter. Everything seemed to be peachy between the musicians until it wasn't. They were spotted at Coachella in April 2023, uncharacteristically keeping under the radar and out of the glare of the cameras. A month later, they were done. "We can confirm Billie and Jesse did split amicably and remain good friends," her rep told Page Six in May 2023.
Rumors that the two had rekindled their romance reignited thanks to the emergence of a video showing Eilish shaving Rutherford's head in a closet. However, sometimes a haircut is just a haircut. Eilish candidly confirmed her split from Rutherford during a Q&A on her Instagram Story in August 2023. "Are you dating anyone?" a fan asked. "No sir," she shot back. "Jesse?" another asked. "Very, very good friends only," Eilish replied.
Billie Eilish likes an older man
Billie Eilish is one of the hottest stars of her generation, so it's little surprise her private life receives as much scrutiny as her musical output. The singer has come under fire for supposedly body shaming men in an interview with British Vogue, lip syncing an Asian slur when she was a teen, and dissing hip hop, among other perceived transgressions.
Eilish's dating history also provides plenty of material for tabloids — and not just because of Jesse Rutherford. Eilish's first serious relationship was with Brandon Quention Adams, aka musical artist 7:AMP. He was featured in her 2021 documentary, "The World's a Little Blurry," as the mysterious "Q." Eilish discussed their breakup with her friend Zoe Donahoe. "I didn't want the same things as he did. And I don't think that's fair for him," she admitted. "I don't think you should be in a relationship, super excited about certain things the other person couldn't care less about."
Adams was 21, and Eilish was 16 when they dated, causing fans to claim he took advantage of the teen. "Your power Que taking advantage of Billie and the relationship, into therefore I am which could resemble the fact that she doesn't want s*** to do with him, and happier than ever letting her know her self-worth," a concerned Eyelash posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The age gap between Eilish and Rutherford was even more significant. Still, luckily for him, their breakup wasn't featured in a documentary.