Billie Eilish Says Death of Kobe Bryant Is 'Hard to Talk About' (Exclusive)

Billie Eilish is speechless about Kobe Bryant's sudden death. 

ET's Lauren Zima spoke with the 18-year-old singer on the red carpet ahead of the 2020 GRAMMYs at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Eilish, who paid tribute to Bryant by posting a photo of him on her Instagram Story ahead of the awards show, shared her shock about the tragic death of the 41-year-old basketball legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, caused by a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California. 

"God, I mean, I don't know how to put it," Eilish told ET. "I thought it was fake because how can you not? It really makes you think about a lot of things. It's hard to talk about. It's so sudden and so random and, like, his beautiful girl. I have no words. My condolences. I don't know what to say."

The awards show comes just hours after ET confirmed the death of the sports icon. Staples Center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers, where Bryant played from 1996-2016. He is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and their three other children -- Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.

The first-time GRAMMY nominee wore head-to-toe Gucci on the red carpet. She rocked an embellished chartreuse turtleneck, that coordinated with her green hair, layered under a pajama-style shirt-and-pant set that featured the brand's logo all over. 

She accessorized with double-G earrings, rectangular sunglasses and green crystal-wrapped sneakers. She also donned fingerless gloves that showed off her long bright green nails. 

Eilish is nominated for six GRAMMYs this year including Album of the Year for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Bad Guy" and Best New Artist. Eilish expressed her excitement about the nominations, but she said she isn't expecting to win. 

"Yeah dude, it is [insane to be nominated]," she told ET. "What are you talking about? I'm ready to lose all of them. All of them." 

"I have considered [what to say in the speech] because I'm not an idiot but I don't think...but I'm hopeful. I'm here to have fun," she added. 

The young star broke into the music scene at age 14 with her first single, "Ocean Eyes," in 2016. Since then, Eilish's career has blossomed -- dropping a debut album, topping the charts, performing at major music festivals and Saturday Night Live and now collecting GRAMMY nominations in multiple categories. 

Earlier this month, it was announced that Eilish will be recording the title track for the next James Bond film, following in the footsteps of Sam Smith, Adele, Alicia Keys and Madonna. Eilish is the youngest artist to create the theme song for the iconic film franchise. 

Eilish kept hush on the track, but insisted it's worth the wait. 

"I don't know if I got anything for you. You kinda just got to wait. It is what it is. It's good." 

See more red carpet arrivals at the GRAMMYs in the gallery, ahead. 

Related Gallery

2020 GRAMMYs: Red Carpet Arrivals

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