Finneas O’Connell has hit out at what he described as “powerful old white men” in fierce defence of his sister and musical collaborator Billie Eilish, after she faced intense backlash for her controversial Grammys acceptance speech.
The Ocean Eyes singer made history on Sunday at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming the first artist to win Song of the Year three times, an opportunity which she used to deliver a pointed criticism of US immigration enforcement.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Ms Eilish said as she accepted the award.
“It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel really hopeful in this room and like we just need to keep fighting, speaking up and protesting. Our voices really matter.”
Billie Eilish was branded 'moronic' for her stance by angry viewers
| GETTYThe record-breaking singer ended her speech with an explicit “F*** Ice (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement)!”, which was met with loud applause from the audience.
Ms Eilish and Mr O’Connell also wore pins reading “ICE OUT”, which were allegedly handed to celebrities on the red carpet by the Grammys organisers.
Other stars spotted wearing the pins included Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey Bieber, as well as rapper Bad Bunny, amongst many other attendees and nominees.
The gesture comes amid growing controversy surrounding US immigration enforcement, following the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
|GETTY
Reaction to Ms Eilish’s comments was swift.
Critics online mocked the singer, suggesting she should “give up her mansion” if she truly believed “no one is illegal”.
“How would she like it if someone walked onto her gated property and said, ‘Well actually no one is trespassing on stolen land’?” one commenter wrote. “I bet her security would call the cops real quick.”
Another added: “Literally no one’s voice matters less than privileged theatre kids who don’t live in the real world and never face consequences.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Mr O'Connell posed this to Instagram threads on Thursday
|An Australian influencer known online as Alled Netizen went viral after parodying Ms Eilish’s remarks, joking that he had decided to move into her Malibu beachfront home.
He said in a video: “Exciting news: I’ve decided to move into Billie Eilish’s $6m Malibu mansion because no human being is illegal on stolen land."
He later launched a GoFundMe to fund the supposed move, claiming he had been “inspired” by the singer’s Grammys speech.
In a GB News exclusive, The Late Show Live's Ben Leo travelled to Los Angeles to confront Ms Eilish at her high-security home, asking whether she genuinely believed “all land is stolen”. The singer did not respond.
Mr O'Connor addressed the attention around his sister's speech
|Amid the backlash, Mr O’Connell came to his sister’s defence in a post on Instagram Threads.
“Seeing a lot of very powerful old white men outraged by what my 24-year-old sister said during her acceptance speech,” he wrote. “We can literally see your names in the Epstein files.”
He later doubled down on Instagram, adding: “As far as I am concerned, all of this attention and backlash is just part of the death rattle of the current ruling class. You can only be punished for being on the right side of history in the short term.”
Mr O’Connell also responded to an opinion piece published by USA Today urging musicians to stay out of politics.
“You just can’t do both,” the Oscar-winning producer wrote. “You can’t say it doesn’t matter what musicians think and then talk about it for days. You’re making it matter. I’ll keep speaking up, especially if it keeps bothering you.”
Mr O’Connell has previously said he attended protests against ICE raids, claiming he was tear-gassed during a demonstration last year.
“Tear gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown — they’re inciting this,” he wrote at the time.
Meanwhile, both siblings continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles in safe and gated communities.
Ms Eilish lives in a private, gated California mansion reportedly worth $2.3 million (£1.6 million), while Mr O’Connell owns a Los Angeles home purchased for $2.73 million (£2.01 million), as well as a Malibu property valued at around $5 million (£3.68 million).