Kamal Ghorui
Billie Eilish has found herself at the centre of a growing controversy following her politically charged speech at the Grammy Awards.At the ceremony, the singer, who won the Grammy for Song of the Year Grammy, raised eyebrows with her anti-ICE speech, saying “There are no illegal people on stolen land.“The remarks soon made waves online with the singer promptly facing backlash over her own property. Reports state that Eilish’s USD 3 million Los Angeles mansion allegedly sits on ancestral land belonging to the Indigenous people of the Tongva tribe.
Tongva tribe reacts to Billie Eilish’s speechFollowing the speech, members of the Tongva community to her speech, telling Daily Mail, “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. 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.“LA Law firm offers to serve Billie Eilish an eviction noticeThe singer was back in the headlines today after an LA-based law firm issued a statement offering to serve the singer with an eviction notice. In a tweet, the law firm released a tongue-in-cheek statement that read, “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sinai Law Firm is offering to evict Billie Eilish from her Los Angeles home on a pro bono basis on behalf of the Tongva Tribe. Sinai Law Firm is the premier eviction firm in the county.”They added, “Eilish’s admission that she lives on stolen land gives the tribe a rightful action for possession as the true owner of the property. The 30-day notice is already written and ready to be served.”The firm later clarified that the statement was intended as a joke, and said, “Incredibly concerning to me that people in media are reaching to me as if this is a serious post.”Finneas defends to sister Billie EilishCritics have since pointed out that Eilish, who is estimated to be worth around $50 million, has not publicly disclosed any financial contributions or agreements with Indigenous groups connected to the land.Amid the backlash, Eilish’s brother and collaborator Finneas came to her defence. Hitting back at a tweet, criticising the singer’s speech, he said, “You can’t say it doesn’t matter what musicians or celebrities say or think but then talk about it for days. You’re out here making it matter. I’ll keep speaking up especially if it keeps bothering you.”
