Does Billie Eilish have Tourette’s syndrome? What has US singer said about tics - and symptoms explained

Singer Billie Eilish recently opened up about her Tourette syndrome in an interview with David Letterman in his new Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

Eilish, who was diagnosed with the condition as a child, told Letterman that, at 20 years old, she had “made friends” with her tics.

This is everything you need to know.

Who is Billie Eilish?

Eilish is an American singer-songwriter, best known for songs like Ocean Eyes, Bad Guy and Happier Than Ever.

Born on 18 December 2001 in LA, Eilish is the daughter to mother Maggie Baird and father Patrick O’Connell, and younger sister to older brother Finneas, who is a frequent musical collaborator and producer for Eilish.

At 17, Finneas had written a song originally for his own band but decided it fit his sister’s style better instead. Eilish, who was 13, sang Ocean Eyes and on 18 November 2015 they uploaded the song to Soundcloud.

Talking about the time, Eilish said: “We put up that song with no expectations at all. We literally posted it so we could send a link to my dance teacher.

“It got 1,000 plays after a day, and me and my brother were stoked. We thought, “Oh my god, we’re famous”.”

Finneas’ manager, Danny Rukasin, then reached out to him to discuss Eilish’s potential and in January 2016, Apple Music signed Eilish to Platoon. Later in the year Eilish then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records.

Since uploading her first song to Soundcloud, Eilish has become one of the biggest names in the music industry.

She released her debut EP Don’t Smile at Me in August 2017 and in February 2018 embarked on her headlining concert tour Where’s My Mind Tour.

Her first studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? released in 2019, debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart, becoming one of the best selling albums of the year, thanks in part to the massive success of its fifth single Bad Guy.

In 2020, Eilish co-wrote and performed the theme song for the James Bond film No Time To Die, which scooped the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2022. Her second studio album, Happier Than Ever (2021), rocketed to number one in 25 countries.

At just 20-years-old, Eilish has won a number of high profile awards for her music, including seven Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three Brit Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Earlier this year, Eilish headlined both weekends of Coachella Music Festival, performing alongside her brother.

Does she have Tourette syndrome?

After a compilation video of her tics went viral online in 2018, Eilish confirmed that she had Tourette syndrome, and said that she had been diagnosed with the condition as a child.

Taking to her Instagram at the time, Eilish wrote on her story: “I would love to get this straight so everyone can stop acting goofy…

“I have diagnosed Tourettes.

“I’ve never mentioned [my Tourette syndrome] on the internet because nobody thinks I’m [serious]... as well as… the fact I’ve just never wanted people to think of Tourettes every time they think of me.

“My tics are only physical and not super noticeable to others if you’re not really paying attention.

“(Believe me, HAVING them is a whole different type of misery) My Tourettes makes easy things a lot harder. Certain things increase and/or trigger the intensity of my tics. But it’s something I grew up with and am used to.. My family and closest friends know it as a part of me.

“I’ve taught myself ways of suppressing my tics and certain techniques to help reduce them when I don’t want to be distracting in certain situations.. But again suppressing them only makes things worse after the moment is over.

“Not gonna go into FULL detail but if you want to know more, I am an open book.

“Wasn’t planning on talking about this on here maybe ever but it’s gotten to a point… lol.

“These compilations y’all been making of my tics are lowkey funny even when y’all make fun of them n s**t. I know you’re all confused as to what it is, so just to let ya know… it’s Tourettes.”

What did she say recently about her Tourette syndrome?

Eilish talked more about her Tourette syndrome and her tics on David Letterman’s Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

She explained that she had experienced “small” tics since she was just a child, which she described as “very exhausting”, but added that, at this point in her life, had “now made friends” with her condition.

At one point during the interview, a change in lighting triggered a tic for Eilish, who said: “If you film me for long enough, you’re going to see lots of tics.

“The most common way that people react is they laugh because they think I’m trying to be funny… and I’m always left incredibly offended by that.”

Eilish then went on to say: “It’s not like I like it, but I feel like it’s part of me. I have made friends with it. And so now, I’m pretty confident in it.

“When I’m moving around, I’m not tic-cing at all. When I’m riding my horse, I’m not tic-cing.

“When I’m moving and thinking and focusing, when I’m singing.”

What is Tourette syndrome - what are the symptoms?

Tourette’s syndrome is a condition which causes a person to involuntarily make sounds or movements, called tics.

According to the NHS, Tourette’s usually starts during childhood, between the ages of two and 14, with tics and other symptoms generally improving after several years and sometimes going away entirely.

Examples of physical tics include:

• Blinking
• Eye rolling
• Grimacing
• Shoulder shrugging
• Jerking of the head or limbs
• Jumping
• Twirling
• Touching objects or other people

Examples of vocal tics include:

• Grunting 
• Throat clearing
• Whistling
• Coughing
• Tongue clicking
• Animal sounds
• Saying random words and phrases 
• Repeating a sound, word or phrase 

Swearing is the stereotypical tic that many people think of when they think about Tourette’s, however this is a very rare vocal tic and only affects around one in 10 in those with the condition.

Tics can be made worse during periods of stress, anxiety or tiredness, or they may just be worse on some days than others.

Many with Tourette’s will experience a strong sensation before a tic which has been described as like the feeling you have before you need to sneeze or when you get an itch.

These feelings are called premonitory sensations and are relieved when the tic has been carried out.

Examples of premonitory sensations include:

• A burning feeling in the eyes before blinking 
• A dry or sore throat before grunting
• An itchy joint or muscle before jerking 

There is no cure for the condition, but treatment is available to help manage symptoms.