"Give Up Your House First"... Billie Eilish's Comments on 'Stolen Land' Spark Backlash?

"No one is illegal on stolen land." The pop star Billie Eilish made a bold statement at the 2026 Grammy Awards that shook American society. Although intended to advocate for immigrants, the controversy has escalated as it has been pointed out that her luxurious mansion is also on indigenous land.

According to foreign media such as Newsweek on the 6th (Korean time), Eilish, who won the Song of the Year award for 'Wildflower' at the Grammy Awards on the 1st, strongly criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during her acceptance speech. She took the stage wearing an 'ICE OUT' badge alongside her brother Finneas, and some profanity was muted during the broadcast.

◆ "Whose land is your $42 million house on?"

Immediately after her remarks, backlash erupted on social media. Critics pointed out that Eilish's $3 million mansion in Los Angeles was also built on land taken from indigenous people, calling her hypocritical. In response, the local indigenous Gabrieleno Tongva tribe confirmed in a media interview, "Eilish's house is indeed on our ancestors' land." The tribe expressed gratitude for public figures raising awareness of history but stated, "We hope our tribe will be explicitly mentioned in future discussions," conveying a pointed stance.

◆ Finneas's Aggressive Defense

As the controversy intensified, Eilish's brother and producer Finneas O'Connell stepped forward. He stated on Threads, "I've seen a lot of angry old white men furious at my sister's words," and harshly criticized them, saying, "Your names can only be found in the (sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein files" while defending his sister.

Meanwhile, separate from this controversy, Eilish continues her social efforts, having received the Environmental Justice Award at the end of January and donating $11.5 million (about 16 billion won) from her tour profits.