“No one is illegal on stolen land,” the 24-year-old said in her acceptance speech for Song of the Year on Sunday night.

Finneas slams ‘powerful old white men’ upset by sister Billie Eilish’s anti-ICE speech at the 2026 Grammys

"No one is illegal on stolen land," the 24-year-old said in her acceptance speech for Song of the Year on Sunday night.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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February 5, 2026 11:40 a.m. ET

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Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish at the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026. Credit:

Kevin Winter/Getty

Finneas O’Connell is not tolerating the slander of his younger sister and collaborator, Billie Eilish — especially not from "powerful old white men" who should be more concerned with other things.

"Seeing a lot of very powerful old white men outraged about what my 24 year old sister said during her acceptance speech," O'Connell wrote in a post shared to Threads on Wednesday. "We can literally see your names in the Epstein files."

The pointed post came as Eilish has become the subject of online vitriol since Sunday night's 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony, during which the duo was named winners of Song of the Year. When Eilish took the mic to give her acceptance speech, she used the platform to condemn ICE and speak up for the rights of immigrants amid national unrest over violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that have resulted in deaths and countless unlawful arrests.

"No one is illegal on stolen land," Eilish said at the time, standing beside O'Connell with both siblings wearing 'ICE Out' pins. "It's really hard to know what to say and what to do right now... I just I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter."

Before walking off stage, Eilish declared: "F--- ICE."

Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish accept Song Of The Year award during the 68th GRAMMY Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Eilish was not the only celebrity to speak out that night — prior to the main telecast, Kehlani ended her Best R&B Performance award acceptance speech with a proud, "F--- ICE" and Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech for Best Música Urbana Album to passionately defend immigrants — but critics called her out on multiple forums.

Ricky Gervais calls out Grammy winners for political speeches

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*USA Today *published an op-ed titled "PSA to celebs: Stick to performing, stay away from politics," written by Ingrid Jacques that called out both Eilish and Bad Bunny, which reads, in part: "You are famous because of your talents as musicians, not because of your idiotic views on politics."

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Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary, who starred alongside Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow in *Marty Supreme, *vented about celebrities getting into politics during an appearance on Fox News' America Reports segment on Tuesday. "As far as Billie, I say this to entertainers, 'half the people in politics that you piss off won't buy your music anymore,'" he said. "Don't be stupid about it.'"

"I mean it's the first lesson 101 for celebrity. As you rise up, whether you're a film star or music star, whatever, shut your mouth and just entertain," he added."

Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell in the press room during the 68th Grammy Awards.

Julian Hamilton/WireImage

Despite the negative response from some, neither Eilish or O'Connell plan to stop speaking out about their beliefs.

"You just can't do both. You can't say it doesn't matter what musicians or celebrities say or think but then talk about it for days," O'Connell wrote in a Threads response to Ingrid Jacques' op-ed. "You're out here making it matter. I'll keep speaking up especially if it keeps bothering you."**

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Source: “EW Grammys”