Billie Eilish and Jimmy Kimmel: The Punch in the Stomach or Friendly Fun?
Introduction
Did Billie Eilish really punch Jimmy Kimmel in the stomach during an interview? The answer is yes, but the context of their bucket list interview on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show reveals a much friendlier and consensual scenario.
The Context of the Punch
The incident happened during a friendly late-night show interview. Jimmy Kimmel had interviewed Billie Eilish in 2019, and during their discussion, Eilish had lightly teased him for the questions he had asked about her music trivia. Jimmy Kimmel wanted to return the favor by bringing Eilish back for a bucket list interview.
The Bucket List
A bucket list is a list of things one hopes to accomplish before dying, much like teenage aspirations. In this case, Eilish’s bucket list included items like meeting Justin Bieber, getting kicked out of Target, growing hair past her butt, and even punching someone.
Jimmy Kimmel didn't take the bucket list too seriously, but he knew he had to complete it to keep with the spirit of the show. One of the final items on the list was to "punch someone." Not wanting to punch a fellow human, Kimmel suggested he would take the punch for everyone watching at home. With Kimmel's participation, the punch looked more like a playful and comedic bit rather than a violent one.
The Friendly Punch
Jimmy Kimmel unbuttoned his suit jacket, turned to Eilish, and said, “I think you should punch me because I’m probably the strongest person here.” He gestured that it was okay for Eilish to punch him in the stomach, adding, "Hit me as hard as you want in the stomach." Eilish admitted, "The goal is for the face but I’m not going to do that to you," and then proceeded to punch him. The punch looked reasonably hard, but Kimmel did not show any signs of being hurt.
The Pre-arranged Comedy Bit
After the punch, Kimmel and Eilish moved onto the final item on the list: getting thrown out of a Target store by security guards. This part of the segment was clearly a pre-arranged bit of comedy. Two men dressed as security guards came on and pretended to escort Eilish out of the store. The backdrop was changed to a picture of a Target store, and with the "security guards" in tow, Eilish made her exit.
Conclusion
This has hardly been the most earthshaking QA ever, but it is important to clarify the context of the punch. The punch was fully consensual and part of a playful late-night show segment. There is no reason to think that Billie Eilish is a heinous person; she was merely participating in a fun and teasing late-night show tradition.