Billie Eilish stirred the pot at the Grammys with a bold callout on immigration and stolen land, but the Tongva tribe is actually thanking her for it. Despite some spicy headlines suggesting backlash, the indigenous group reached out to her team with appreciation. Turns out, the drama is more media mishap than tribal shade.
Oh honey, Billie Eilish just dropped a truth bomb at the Grammys that had everyone clutching their pearls! Accepting the Song of the Year award on Sunday night, the 24-year-old singer didn't hold back: “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 ... F*** ICE.” 🔥
Cue the conservatives: MAGA supporters, led by journalist Eric Daugherty, quickly pointed out that Billie's $3 million Los Angeles mansion sits smack on ancestral Tongva territory—the First People of the greater LA basin. Headlines exploded with claims of backlash, even calls for her to return the property or house migrants. Messy? Absolutely.
But wait, plot twist! A spokesperson for the Gabrieleno Tongva tribe told Daily Mail, “We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity regarding the recent comments made by Billie Eilish. As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land. 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 even reached out to Billie's team “to express our appreciation for her comments.” The tribe hopes for explicit shoutouts in future chats: “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.” Plus, props to the Recording Academy: “The Recording Academy has been an incredible partner to our tribe, and we look forward to continuing the relationship to ensure the voices of the First People of this land are heard and honored. Ekwa Shem—We are here!”
So, no tribal callout here—just commendation amid the noise. Fans are side-eyeing those misleading headlines, wondering if the real tea is how quickly the internet twists appreciation into drama. Is Billie the ally we need, or just spilling the tea we all knew? 👀
