A Native American tribe whose ancestral land includes the property where Billie Eilish lives has responded after the singer referenced stolen land during her Grammys acceptance speech. The comments, made while accepting an award for her song Wildflower, quickly spread online and drew mixed reactions from fans and public figures.
Standing with her brother and co-writer Finneas, Eilish told the audience, “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.” The remark was tied to her criticism of immigration enforcement and was delivered during the ceremony in Los Angeles.
After the speech, some critics called on Eilish to give up her Los Angeles mansion, arguing her words should come with action. A political commentator wrote on social media, “Americans are calling on Hollywood elitist Billie Eilish to RETURN her $14M LA mansion to the Tongva tribe after she claimed, ‘no one is illegal on stolen land’.”
The same post continued, “She could also graciously host illegal aliens in her mansion. After all, she has the moral high ground. Put up or shut the F up.” The comments fueled further debate and brought attention to the tribal history of the land beneath her home.
In response, a spokesperson for the Tongva tribe addressed the situation, saying they wanted to clarify the singer’s remarks. They told local media, “We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity regarding the recent comments made by Billie Eilish,” while noting the home is located on their ancestral land.
The tribe added that Eilish had not contacted them directly but said they value public acknowledgment of history. They explained, “Eilish has not contacted our tribe directly regarding her property, we do value the instance when public figures provide visibility to the true history of this country.”
They also said they had reached out to Eilish’s team to express appreciation for her comments and shared a hope for clearer references in the future. According to the statement, “It is our hope that in future discussions, the tribe can explicitly be referenced to ensure the public understands that the greater Los Angeles basin remains Gabrieleno Tongva territory.”
Later in the evening, Eilish returned to the topic while still on stage, saying it was “really hard to know what to say and what to do right now.” She added, “I just feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”
She ended her remarks bluntly, saying, “And f**k ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say. Sorry!” Her comments came amid ongoing national debate surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has remained a deeply divisive issue across the country.
