Billie Eilish on Living with Stalkers: “A Lot of People Want to Do Bad Things to Me”

At just 23, Billie Eilish has become one of the most recognizable voices in music. The Grammy- and Oscar-winning pop star has sold out arenas, topped charts, and shaped the sound of a generation. But behind the global acclaim lies a darker reality: a constant battle against stalkers that has left her fearful in her own home and forced her to transform trauma into art.

Fame and Fear

In a 2021 interview with The Irish Times, Eilish admitted that the persistent threat of stalkers has kept her tethered to her family’s Los Angeles home despite her success. “I really don’t like to be alone,” she said. “I have a lot of stalkers, and I have people that want to do bad things to me… I just love my parents and really like it here. It’s very comforting.”

That fear is not unfounded. In 2021, Eilish secured a five-year civil harassment order against John Hearle, who camped outside a school across from her home, made throat-slitting gestures, and left disturbing notes, one reading: “You can’t get what you want, unless what you want is to die for me.”

Since then, her encounters with stalkers have only intensified. In 2023 alone, she filed restraining orders against two men: Raymond Black, who was found shirtless on her property using her outdoor shower, and Shawn Christopher McIntyre, a 53-year-old who sent her hundreds of threatening and obsessive messages, some targeting her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell. Court filings described the toll as “substantial anxiety, fear, and emotional distress,” eroding her sense of safety.

Trauma Turned into Art

Rather than burying her fear, Eilish has woven it into her music. On her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft, the track “The Diner” takes on the chilling perspective of a stalker. With lyrics like “I saw you on the screens, I know we’re meant to be / I’m waiting on your block, but please don’t call the cops,” the song transforms menace into narrative.

It ends with a whispered phone number — (310) 807-3956 — which, when dialed, plays a voicemail of Eilish saying: “Hello? Hello? I can’t hear you… Hold on, let me call you back.” The eerie flourish stunned fans, who praised it as one of her most daring and unsettling works. One listener on X wrote: “The Diner is a masterpiece… it’s literally from the POV of her stalker and the instrumentals fit so well it’s giving the biggest villain vibes.”

A History of Invasion

Eilish’s struggles with stalkers began early in her career. In 2019, at just 17, her home address was leaked online, leading strangers to show up uninvited. Her family was forced to hire a bodyguard to sleep in the living room. “I completely don’t feel safe in my house anymore, which sucks. I love my house,” she told Rolling Stone.

The following year, she sought a restraining order against Prenell Rousseau, who repeatedly appeared at her doorstep despite warnings to leave. Each incident reinforced the uneasy balance between her skyrocketing fame and her private life.

Strength in Family

Through it all, Eilish leans on her family: her parents, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, and her brother Finneas. They not only provide creative collaboration but also emotional refuge. Speaking to The Irish Times, she described her father as “the same person” as her, a reflection of the deep ties that have kept her grounded amid chaos.

That bond has proven crucial. While Eilish admits she doesn’t always feel safe, her family’s presence gives her comfort and continuity — a protective force against the darker aspects of fame.

The High Price of Stardom

With nine Grammys, an Academy Award, and three chart-topping albums, Eilish’s career trajectory is astonishing. Yet her candid revelations about stalkers shed light on the often invisible costs of global fame. Her openness, and her ability to channel trauma into art, has resonated with fans who see in her both vulnerability and resilience.

“I don’t feel safe in my house anymore, which sucks,” she said plainly. But even in fear, Billie Eilish continues to create, using music as both shield and sword — proof that her voice remains powerful even when her safety is shaken.

Would you like me to frame this piece more as an investigative deep-dive into celebrity stalking cases — drawing parallels with other stars who’ve faced similar threats — or keep it tightly focused on Billie’s personal story?