Drew Pavlou, an Australian influencer, claimed he was denied entry to the United States over a joke about Billie Eilish he posted on social media.
The situation stemmed from singer Billie Eilish’s acceptance speech for Song of the Year at the Grammys in early February.
“Nobody is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said. “We need to keep fighting and speaking up.”
Billie Eilish says “f*ck ice” during her #Grammys acceptance speech: “Nobody is illegal on stolen land. We need to keep fighting and speaking up. Our voices do matter.” pic.twitter.com/Sz1um3afYJ
— Variety (@Variety) February 2, 2026
In response to her speech, Pavlou took to X, saying: “Exciting news: I’ve decided to move into Billie Eilish’s $6 million Malibu beachfront mansion because no human being is illegal on stolen land. Thank you Billie for your generosity.”
Pavlou posted a satirical video alongside the caption claiming he would travel to the United States to live in Eilish’s home. (RELATED: ‘Native American Tribe Reportedly Responds To Singer Billie Eilish’s ‘Stolen Land’ Virtue-Signal’)
Pavlou later clarified his intentions in a piece for The Spectator.
“Now, obviously I did not intend to do anything illegal. My plan was to call a press conference complete with a professional Native American smoke ceremony on the road outside her mansion. To that end I was in advanced discussions with multiple different professional Native American dance groups who wanted to help,” he wrote.
Upon arriving at the U.S. border, Pavlou claimed he was detained in the passport line.
After waiting four hours in a screening room, he was allegedly sent to another holding area for six more hours.
He was then given the chance to call the Australian Consulate, which connected Pavlou to his father. He alleged he was pulled into an interrogation room at 4 a.m., where he was asked about Billie Eilish.
Pavlou claimed he was then interrogated about his previous activism against the Chinese government.
“I was shocked,” Pavlou wrote. “I traveled to the US in January 2026 on an ESTA with zero issues. Walked right off the plane with zero problems. I even spoke to US State Department officials around this time about free-speech issues in Australia.”