Why Billie Eilish Skipped the 2025 MTV VMAs?

Billie Eilish stayed out of the public spotlight this evening, skipping the MTV VMAs as she continues her break from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour.

Billie Eilish has six nominations this evening. Her single “Birds of a Feather” is up for Video of the Year and Song of the Year. “Guess,” her collaboration with Charli XCX, also earned several nods in the Video for Good, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing categories.

In April, she spoke to British Vogue about her relationship with rejection and courage in the music industry. “I had no idea [when I was younger] that I was doing anything fearlessly,” she said. “When I would hear people comment that I was only 16 and not fitting in with the stereotype—that I was a rebel or whatever—I remember being really confused because I didn’t see it that way. I just felt like I was doing what I thought was cool. I was not intentionally trying to break any mould or rules or change music. I kind of just stayed true to what I liked and what I wanted.

“But, the older I get, there really have been many periods of doubt and fear and feeling so much pressure, and then when more people knew me, more people had something to say. It was hard to remember to trust myself or even believe in myself sometimes. It’s still a process. I think I’m doing pretty good. I’ve also always been very strong-willed and very much myself, so I do think that plays a part.”