A controversial Australian activist, Drew Pavlou, has accused singer Billie Eilish of causing his deportation from the United States after he planned to occupy her Malibu mansion. The 26-year-old self-proclaimed activist was detained by US border officials for over 24 hours and sent back to Australia after arriving without the correct visa.
Pavlou's plan was a response to Eilish's Grammy speech earlier this month, where she criticised US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating 'no one is illegal on stolen land' and concluding with 'f*** ICE'. Pavlou argued that Eilish's comments were 'an extremely radical viewpoint' and that she was 'essentially arguing that the United States of America should be abolished'.
He set up a GoFundMe page to fund his travel, raising over $3,000 (£1,500) in under three hours before it was removed for breaching guidelines. Pavlou described his plan as 'performance art' and said he would 'just sit outside her house until somebody asks me to leave' to test the theory that 'nobody is illegal on stolen land'.
Upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, Pavlou was held for 30 hours. He claimed officers laughed at his story but noted he had entered on the wrong paperwork. He later accused Eilish of reporting him to ICE, saying: 'She literally said “no one is illegal on stolen land” but called ICE on me.'
Pavlou's GoFundMe campaign was taken down, and he was unable to proceed with his plan. He has since returned to Australia, calling the experience 'worth it for the meme'.
