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Billie Eilish’s bikini photo did not show a brand-new tattoo. It gave fans one of the first clear public looks at a small chest tattoo reading “Eilish”—a tattoo she had already acknowledged in a 2021 interview after saying the public would never see it.
The image appeared in an Instagram carousel posted by Annabel Zimmer on June 11, 2023. Eilish was relaxing outdoors in a string bikini, and the photograph showed the tattoo at the center of her chest, beneath the bikini straps. Because the tattoo is small and the original image is casually framed, the lettering is difficult to make out at first glance. Contemporary coverage identified it as “Eilish” in an ornate, gothic-style script.
Eilish responded to Zimmer’s post with a see-no-evil monkey emoji, a reaction widely read as a playful acknowledgment that the tattoo she had kept private was now visible to the public.
It was not a new tattoo
The chest tattoo had been publicly discussed before the bikini photograph. In Vanity Fair’s November 30, 2020 Time Capsule interview, Eilish said she had gotten a tattoo but added: “you won’t ever see it.”
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One year later, in the November 30, 2021 edition of the same interview series, she revealed that she had three tattoos. Pointing to her chest, she said, “I have one here that says Eilish.” She also described a dragon tattoo on her hip or upper thigh and fairy imagery on her hand.
That distinction matters: the 2023 photograph was a reveal of a previously acknowledged tattoo, not evidence that Eilish had just received new ink. The photograph was also posted by her friend Annabel Zimmer—not originally by Eilish herself.
When did Billie Eilish get the tattoo?
Rolling Stone reported that Eilish got the chest tattoo the day after the 2020 Grammy Awards, which would place the tattoo’s creation around January 27, 2020. That timing is best treated as attributed reporting rather than a fully documented appointment date: the original tattoo session has not been publicly documented in the primary interview sources.
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What does the tattoo say?
The tattoo reads “Eilish,” one of Billie Eilish’s given names. It is not her surname. Her full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, so descriptions calling “Eilish” her last name or family name are inaccurate.
The safest descriptions are “a tattoo reading ‘Eilish,’” or “a tattoo of Eilish’s given name.” The lettering is small and stylized, which is why some viewers needed the interview confirmation and closer looks at the photograph to identify it.
The tattoo timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 30, 2020 | Eilish said she had a tattoo but that the public would never see it. |
| Around January 27, 2020 | Rolling Stone reported that the chest tattoo was obtained the day after the 2020 Grammy Awards. |
| May 2021 | British Vogue imagery offered a glimpse of another tattoo, later identified as the large dragon on Eilish’s upper thigh or hip. |
| November 30, 2021 | Eilish identified the chest tattoo as “Eilish” during her fifth-year Time Capsule interview and discussed her other tattoos. |
| June 11, 2023 | Annabel Zimmer’s Instagram carousel showed the first widely reported clear public glimpse of the chest tattoo. |
| August 12, 2025 | Eilish’s own “draft” photo dump included another bikini image in which the tattoo was visible. This was a later sighting, not the original reveal. |
What bikini was Billie Eilish wearing?
Entertainment coverage identified the bikini top in the 2023 photograph as a Miaou string-style top. Miaou’s official product information for its Kauai bikini-top line describes a stretch nylon-and-spandex construction, hand-wash care, and sizing information. However, the currently indexed official product information does not establish that the exact colorway worn in Zimmer’s photograph is still available.
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The bikini is a fashion detail surrounding the photograph, not evidence that the tattoo was designed as part of a fashion campaign or product collaboration. Readers looking for the exact photographed top should check current inventory and color details directly rather than relying on older retail descriptions.
Why the photo attracted so much attention
The image combined a low-key vacation-style photograph with a small piece of information Eilish had deliberately kept out of view. She had already told fans that the tattoo existed, but her earlier promise—“you won’t ever see it”—made the later glimpse feel like a reversal of her own boundary.
It also arrived after Eilish’s other tattoos had become more familiar to the public. Her dragon tattoo had been glimpsed in British Vogue imagery, while the 2021 Time Capsule interview gave fans descriptions of the dragon and fairy tattoos. The chest design remained comparatively hidden until the bikini image made its placement and lettering easier to see.
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For fans who want a broader Billie Eilish collectible
The photograph does not point to official tattoo merchandise or a confirmed retail version of the bikini. A more directly documented physical collectible is the Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever CD photobook, which combines the album CD with a 24-page book containing lyrics and photographs. It is best understood as a general Billie Eilish fan collectible, not as a replica or tie-in to the chest tattoo.
Watch next: Billie Eilish’s story beyond the tattoo
For a broader look at Eilish’s adolescence, family life, recording process, and rise to global recognition, consider Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry. The Apple TV-listed documentary is separate from the tattoo story, but it provides useful context for readers interested in the person and creative process behind the public image. Availability and viewing terms can vary by country and may change over time.
What the photograph actually revealed
The most accurate summary is simple: Billie Eilish’s June 2023 bikini photograph made her previously acknowledged “Eilish” chest tattoo publicly visible. It did not reveal a new tattoo, it was not originally a selfie posted by Eilish, and “Eilish” is not her surname. The moment became notable because a tattoo she had once promised fans would never see finally appeared in a casual photograph.
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Did Billie Eilish get a new tattoo for the bikini photo?
No. The tattoo was already known to exist. Eilish identified it as a chest tattoo reading “Eilish” during her 2021 Vanity Fair Time Capsule interview. The 2023 photograph provided a clearer public glimpse of it.
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- Issue Type: COLLECTOR'S EDITION,2017 DISPLAY AUGUST, 14th 2017, Subject: CLASSIC CELEBRITY WEDDINGS MAGAZINE
- Country Of Manufacture: United States, Language: English
- Country/Region Of Manufacture: United States, Year Published: 2017
- Subscription: No
- Publication Name: CLASSIC CELEBRITY WEDDINGS MAGAZINE
Who posted the photo that revealed Billie Eilish’s chest tattoo?
Annabel Zimmer posted the Instagram carousel on June 11, 2023. Eilish appeared in the photograph and responded to the post, but she did not originally publish that image herself.
What does Billie Eilish’s chest tattoo say?
It says “Eilish,” one of her given names. It is not her family name or surname; her full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell.
What other tattoos does Billie Eilish have?
In her 2021 Vanity Fair interview, Eilish discussed three tattoos: “Eilish” on her chest, a dragon on her hip or upper thigh, and fairy imagery on her hand.
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The Bottom Line
Billie Eilish’s bikini photo showed, rather than introduced, her small “Eilish” chest tattoo. She had acknowledged the tattoo in 2021 after once saying fans would never see it; the June 2023 image by Annabel Zimmer was the first widely reported clear public glimpse.
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