Pop star Billie Eilish has been facing criticism online after she officiated her brother’s wedding on what she has in the past referred to as “stolen land.”
During the 2026 Grammy’s in February, Eilish ignited controversy when she said that “no one is illegal on stolen land,” a reference to Native Americans previously occupying lands in the United States before reservations.
Since then, critics of the singer have routinely accused her of virtue signaling at best and hypocrisy at worst, charging that she issued an empty statement with little to no substance. Others called on her to relinquish the land she owns to groups that she felt it belonged to. Her defenders, however, have said that she wanted to raise awareness about Native American issues.
As noted by the New York Post, Eilish ignited more accusations of hypocrisy over the weekend when she officiated her brother’s wedding in Montecito, California, which once belonged to the Chumash Tribe.
The Chumash historically inhabited a vast swath of California’s Central and Southern coasts, including the San Ysidro Ranch area.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians says Chumash territory once covered roughly 7,000 square miles, stretching from Malibu to Paso Robles and inland to the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley.
Historical documentation for the Montecito area also identifies it as Chumash territory before European settlement.
Critics online felt that the wedding further signified that Eilish’s words at the Grammy’s were empty.