Billie Eilish opened up about ‘exhausting’ Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis
Billie Eilish has previously opened up about just how 'exhausting' Tourette's syndrome can be.
The NHS explains that Tourette's syndrome is a condition that causes you to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements (tics). There is no cure, but treatment can help manage the tics.
Tics can be triggered by different things, including stress, excitement or tiredness.
The 24-year-old 'Ocean Eyes' singer discussed her diagnosis, which came when she was 11 years old, with David Letterman in the Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction back in 2022.
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When David asked Billie if she felt comfortable discussing Tourette's, the Grammy-winning singer explained: "It’s really weird, I haven’t talked about it at all. The most common way that people react is they laugh because they think I’m trying to be funny.
"They think I’m going [copies tic] as a funny move. And so they go, ‘Ha,’ and I’m always left incredibly offended by that. Or they go [looks around] 'What?' and then I go, ‘I have Tourette’s'."
Billie went on to explain a little more about some of her physical tics, continuing: "I never don’t tic at all, because the main tics that I do constantly, all day long, are like, I wiggle my ear back and forth and raise my eyebrow and click my jaw … and flex my arm here and flex this arm, flex these muscles.
"These are things you would never notice if you’re just having a conversation with me, but for me, they’re very exhausting."
The NHS explains that the main symptom of Tourette's is tics.
Tics can involve repetitive sounds (vocal tics) or movements (motor tics) you do not choose to make and cannot control.
Tics involving sounds may include:
- whistling
- sniffing or clearing your throat a lot
- making animal sounds
- repeating a sound, word or phrase
- swearing (this is rare)
Tics involving movement may include:
- rolling your eyes or blinking
- shrugging your shoulders
- jerking or twitching movements
- tensing your stomach muscles
- jumping
Lewis Capaldi is another famous A-lister who also has Tourette's.
The 29-year-old singer revealed his diagnosis back in September 2022, with the condition leading to a major break from touring following a difficult performance at Glastonbury in 2023, where fans supported him as his tics intensified.
He's since returned to music and is touring again following a successful comeback at Glastonbury in 2025.
Lewis has also announced his largest UK headline tour to date for summer 2026, including headline slots at BST Hyde Park and Wythenshawe Park.
Topics: Billie Eilish, Celebrity, Health, Mental Health
Rhiannon Ingle