Photo: Fred Duval / Shutterstock / Instagram
This is not the joke they think it is.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Oct 31, 2022
After photos of Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford seemingly confirming their relationship went public in mid-October 2022, fans immediately took to social media to express their disgust.
Accusations of grooming and concerns for the 11-year age gap that exists between them troubled fans.
Eilish has previously talked about power imbalances being an issue in her past relationships.
Always in tune with social media, the “Bad Guy” singer and The Neighborhood lead responded to the controversy through the costumes they wore on Halloween.
Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford dress up as a baby and an old man for Halloween.
20-year-old Eilish celebrated the holiday dressing up as a baby while 31-year-old Rutherford sported wrinkled make-up and a bald cap that made him look like an old man.
Photos of the couple were posted on the Pop Crave Twitter account and fans were instantly upset with the statement.
“That’s definitely not weird at all…” one person wrote, sarcastically offering their disgust while others were blunter, saying “this is so f--king weird.”
Although there’s nothing wrong with the costumes themselves and could hardly be deemed offensive under normal circumstances, these are not normal circumstances as their relationship was already under heavy scrutiny.
One fan claims that when Rutherford was 26 years old, he was friends with a 15-year-old Eilish and uses a photo from a Halloween party in 2017 to back it up.
Another fan pointed out that when the song “Sweater Weather,” performed by The Neighborhood, was released, Eilish was only 11 years old.
“Sweater Weather” is The Neighborhood’s most popular song and includes sexual themes.
Many people on social media also spoke in defense of the couple.
“You do realize they’re making fun of y’all right?” one person claimed, pointing out that the reaction they’re getting is exactly what they wanted.
“I mean they’re trolling the people that are having an unnecessary (sic) opinion about their relationship. So In a way ur proving their point and making their joke even funnier,” another person wrote.
Others replied by saying how this isn’t the “drag they think it is” and that even if they’re making some sort of public statement, it’s still weird and wrong.
Comments about how Eilish and Rutherford are two consenting adults in an adult relationship were not few and far between, but they do miss the point.
Concerned fans pointed out that, aside from meeting when she was 15, Rutherford was also one of her idols growing up, attending her first concert to see The Neighborhood.
The power imbalance that places between the two means that Eilish is more easily susceptible to falling victim to grooming.
A song titled “Single,” written by Rutherford and performed by The Neighborhood also details the creepy history of Rutherford’s past relationship with a girl he went to high school with when he was 17/18 years old while she was 14.
Fans who are against Eilish’s relationship with Rutherford are simply looking out for the singer’s well-being, while those who defend the relationship claim that all’s well since they’re both adults.
Despite the outrage they’ve caused with the costumes, there has been no official response from either party.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.