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In a scene straight out of a Hollywood script, the Grammy Awards on Sunday unfolded with a predictable twist.
Billie Eilish, after clinching the Song of the Year award, took the stage in Los Angeles and boldly stated, “Nobody is illegal on stolen land… F**k ICE.”
The crowd at the Crypto.com Arena erupted in applause, echoing Eilish’s sentiments while she enjoyed the moment, her expression reflecting a mix of satisfaction and triumph.
However, that confident demeanor might be fading as public voices grow louder, urging Eilish to either return her $3 million mansion to the Native American tribe from whom the land was originally taken or to open its doors to the very migrants she claims to support fervently.
Amid the controversy, Eilish’s uncle, Brian Baird, remains a steadfast supporter.
The former US congressman berated the Daily Mail for daring to suggest that his niece will be the latest in a long line of showbusiness hypocrites if she does not give up her mansion.
‘Oh please, give me a break! This is disingenuous,’ the former Democrat Representative for Washington’s Third Congressional district snapped.
‘The truth is, as Billie has explained, our family has done a lot for the immigrant community and their cause.’
When Billie Eilish accepted the Grammy for Song of the Year over the weekend, she took the opportunity on the global stage to slam Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown – declaring: ‘Nobody is illegal on stolen land… F*** ICE’
A spokesperson with the Tongva tribe confirmed to the Daily Mail that Eilish’s home (pictured) is situated on their ancestral land
Last year, Eilish was hailed for donating $11.5 million from the proceeds of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to climate change and anti-hunger charities – but there was no direct help for migrants.
Despite that act of extreme generosity, her insistence on railing against immigration laws while living in extreme luxury has left a bad taste in the mouths of many Americans.
Baird was unrepentant.
Advocating on behalf of his niece, he said: ‘I think Billie is fantastic… of course we’re standing behind her.
‘ICE agents are killing people on the street.’
Asked about Billie’s statement about people being illegal, Baird, whose sister is Billie’s actress mother Maggie, said: ‘Technically, everyone is an immigrant in this country.’
Baird’s own slice of ‘stolen land’ is a particularly beautiful one.
He lives in a breathtaking $1.5 million modern home that sits on the edge of Puget Sound, around 10 miles north of Downtown Seattle.
Eilish’s uncle, former Washington Congressman Brian Baird, snapped at the Daily Mail for ‘disingenuous’ questioning of Eilish’s anti-ICE acceptance speech, responding: ‘Give me a break’
The A-lister has not reached out to the tribe herself, the spokesperson said
The retired congressman, who also enjoyed a distinguished career as a psychologist, hinted that Eilish had been rattled by the blowback to her Grammy’s stunt.
‘I’m not speaking to that,’ he said when asked if the criticism had affected her.
‘Of course I have spoken to her. Our whole family is very close.’
Eilish may well be feeling the heat.
A spokesperson for the Tongva tribe confirmed to the Daily Mail that Eilish’s home in the Glendale neighborhood of Los Angeles sits on what was originally their land.
They said Eilish had not attempted to contact them to discuss returning the ‘stolen land’ to its rightful owners.
Eilish now faces further embarrassment and pressure to put her money where her mouth is.
Los Angeles’s Sinai Law Firm says it is offering the Tongva tribe pro-bono advice on getting the mansion back.
Eilish is seen wearing an ‘ICE OUT’ pin at the Grammy Awards on February 1
The former congressman is the brother of Eilish’s actress mother Maggie Baird (seen together)
Citing itself as the ‘premier eviction firm in the county’, the firm stated: ‘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 peaceful Tongvas have not given any indication they wish to have Eilish evicted.
Even if they were to take up Sinai Law’s offer, they’d likely face years or even decades of litigation at the hands of Eilish’s own high-powered lawyers.
So, there is little realistic prospect of the raven-haired singer being forced out of her home.
But many ordinary Americans hope the humiliation Eilish has wrought on herself will make her think twice before she issues any future pronouncements.