Who Is Jesse Rutherford? Billie Eilish's Rumored New Relationship Gets Backlash over Age Gap

20-year-old Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish's public nights out with fellow singer Jesse Rutherford has raised speculation that the two are in a romantic relationship. Even so, some fans have already voiced their disapproval of the alleged relationship.

The speculation began after Eilish and Rutherford were seen out on what looked like romantic dates. The first night they were spotted together at the Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles, where they had dinner. During their three hours at the restaurant, the duo could be seen displaying affection.

The following day, they hung out at Universal Studios theme park. A fan recorded them coming out of one of the haunted houses. The video shows the visibly happy couple holding hands as they walk away. Eilish's brother, Finneas, was with them and his Instagram story confirmed their whereabouts that night.

Who Is Jesse Rutherford?

Jesse Rutherford is a native of California. He was born in Newbury Park on August 21, 1991. His journey in the entertainment industry, which includes being an actor and singer, began when he was still a child. His passion for performing arts was seen in his younger years when he performed at various talent shows.

Rutherford's acting career started in TV commercials for channels such as Hallmark. He later expanded his area of work to include television series and film projects. At just the tender age of 11, he was involved in projects such as "Life or Something like it" and a one-time appearance in the series, "Star Trek: Enterprise."

His music career took a huge step forward when he became one of the founding members of the rock band, The Neighbourhood in 2011. The band released its first song and album the following year and has performed at various festivals, including Coachella. Rutherford also has two solo albums to his name.

Who Has Jesse Rutherford Dated in the Past?

Being a lead singer of a relatively successful rock band tends to bring a lot of attention to the artist's life in general. Nevertheless, The Neighbourhood frontman tries to keep his personal life as private as possible. However, Rutherford has gone public with a few of his relationships.

One of the women he has been involved with is New York Born singer, DJ, and music producer, Anabel Englund. Their relationship lasted for several years before it ended in 2014. Born on September 1, 1992, Englund is known for her collaborations with artists such as Hot Natured and MK.

Shortly after, in April 2015, he started dating Devon Carlson. Carlson is mainly recognized for her Wildflower Cases business. The two had known each other since high school but began talking on Facebook after they had both graduated. Their relationship had run its course in 2021, ending after six years of dating.

Why Are People Upset at Jesse Rutherford and Billie Eilish's alleged Relationship?

Even though Jesse Rutherford and Billie Eilish seem to enjoy each other's company, some fans are unhappy seeing them together. The main reason for that is the age difference between Rutherford and Eilish.

While Rutherford was born in 1991, Eilish was born more than a decade later, on December 18, 2001. The considerable age difference, perhaps more magnified by Eilish's relatively young age, seemed to bother some fans who expressed their discomfort on social media.

In addition, some fans also noted that what makes their relationship more problematic is that the duo had potentially known each other for the past five years when Eilish was just 15 and Rutherford was 26.

That has made many fans accuse Rutherford of grooming Eilish. Grooming has recently been a hot topic in the indie rock circle as several indie rock men have been caught in the same scenario. However, both musicians have not yet addressed the rumors of their newfound love.