A brief political remark from the Grammy stage has triggered a wave of backlash for pop star Billie Eilish, with critics accusing the singer of hypocrisy and performative activism.
According to the New York Post, Eilish, 24, found herself at the center of controversy after comments she made while accepting the Song of the Year award at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
The ceremony was held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
While addressing the audience, Eilish delivered a pointed message tied to immigration and land ownership.
“As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything, but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said from the stage.
She ended her remarks bluntly, adding, “’F**k ICE’ is what I wanna say.”
The comments quickly drew criticism online, with detractors accusing the “Wildflower” singer of virtue signaling while benefiting from significant wealth and luxury real estate in Southern California.
“What about if we all showed up to her mansion and said we are going to live there now? It’s stolen land right? She doesn’t own it,” one X user wrote in response.
Others echoed that sentiment, questioning whether Eilish would personally act on the beliefs she voiced publicly.
“Meanwhile, she’s chilling in her … Hollywood Hills fortress with armed guards and a moat of privilege. If the land’s so stolen, sis, hand over the keys to the nearest tribe or migrant family,” wrote political commentator and YouTuber Brandon Tatum.
British journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer also weighed in, criticizing what she described as celebrity posturing.
“The woman is a blithering idiot. Of course, if she really means it, then she’ll happily hand over her multi-million pound Malibu beachfront home to illegal migrants,” Hartley-Brewer wrote on X. “Which she won’t, because it’s all just silly celeb posturing.”
The backlash extended to elected officials as well.
“Any white person who does a public ‘stolen land’ acknowledgement should immediately give his or her land to native Americans. Otherwise, they don’t mean it,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted on his personal X account.
According to Forbes, Eilish’s net worth was estimated at $53 million in 2020. She purchased a $2.3 million horse ranch in Glendale at age 17, a property that previously belonged to singer Leona Lewis, according to Hello! Magazine.
It remains unclear what other properties Eilish may own.
Her brother and longtime collaborator Finneas O’Connell stood beside her onstage during the Grammys. O’Connell reportedly sold a Malibu beach house for $5.66 million in 2022, according to the Los Angeles Times.
O’Connell had previously purchased a Spanish Colonial-style home in Los Feliz in 2019 and later bought the neighboring property in 2022 to create a small compound.
Eilish has not publicly responded to the criticism sparked by her Grammy remarks.
