A controversial Grammy acceptance speech by pop superstar Billie Eilish has sparked an audacious response from an Australian political activist, who is now en route to California with plans to “occupy” the singer’s expansive multimillion-dollar estate.
Drew Pavlou, 26, from Australia, launched an online fundraising campaign following Eilish’s impassioned address, aiming to gather enough funds to travel to the United States and set up camp outside her grand residence.
Initially, a GoFundMe page raised $3,000 before being removed.
Undeterred, Mr Pavlou shifted his efforts to alternative platform GiveSendGo, successfully securing enough money for his flights.
He has since confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that he has purchased tickets and is set to depart for the US next week.
“Everything here is completely and totally legal, I am just going to set up a tent on her driveway and I will leave when they formally ask me to leave,” Mr Pavlou stated, echoing Eilish’s own words: “No human being is illegal on stolen land.”
MORE NEWS
Gen Z Aussie crowns himself president of new country
Lions Club evicts mum, sells entire Aus town
‘More power to me’: Mum on living in ex’s backyard
Drew Pavlou, a 24-year-old political activist and influencer, called out Eilish’s alleged virtue-signalling in her anti-ICE remarks after she won Song of the Year at the 68th annual awards show. Source: New York Post
He now plans to travel to the US to occupy her house. Source: Google Earth
The singer reportedly paid $3,429,120 (US$2.4m) for the home, rumoured to have been previously owned by singer Leona Lewis.
According to Crazy Luxury Homes, the property features a 2,100-square-foot main house with hardwood floors, a separate guesthouse, horse stables, and an arena nestled within a private, gated oasis.
Mr Pavlou further elaborated on his motivation in a video, expressing a desire to “help bring about that as a reality” and live “rent-free” at the palatial home for a few months, perhaps even on its extensive grounds.
Eilish, who won a Grammy for her hit song ‘Wildflower’, used her acceptance speech to address ongoing immigration raids in the US.
Billie Eilish accepts the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 68th annual awards show in Los Angeles, on Feb. 1, 2026. Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“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,” she proclaimed.
Her speech concluded with a defiant “And f*** ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say. Sorry!”
However, Eilish’s powerful statement quickly drew scrutiny, particularly from political commentator Eric Daugherty.
He, among others, highlighted the perceived irony that Eilish’s own sprawling California compound, a truly magnificent mansion, is situated on land historically belonging to the Tongva tribe, the Indigenous people of the greater Los Angeles Basin.
Pavlou switched his tactics and started a new fundraiser on the GiveSendGo website, so he could fly to California and buy the “Birds of a Feather” singer’s $6 million Malibu home. Source: Sky News Australia
Mr Daugherty provocatively suggested on X that Eilish “could also graciously host illegal aliens in her mansion. After all, she has the moral high ground. Put up or shut the F up.”
A spokesperson for the Tongva tribe confirmed to the Daily Mail that the singer’s home does indeed sit on their “ancestral land.”
While appreciating public figures who “provide visibility to the true history of this country,” the spokesperson noted that Eilish has not directly contacted the tribe regarding her vast property.
As Mr Pavlou prepares for his journey, the unfolding situation promises to keep the spotlight firmly on the intersection of celebrity advocacy, land rights, and the complexities of political statements in the public arena, especially when a multimillion-dollar estate becomes the focal point.
English (US) · 