Singer Billie Eilish's 'ICE Out' speech at the Grammys 2026 sparked controversy after sports host Emily Austin shared her viral reaction online. Read on to know more about her.
The Grammys 2026 saw many artists take centre stage with their impressive wins. One of the winners was singer Billie Eilish, who, while accepting her award, spoke about immigration raids in the US. Eilish addressed immigration issues and criticised US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while saying, ‘no one is illegal on stolen land.’
While the entire crowd gathered at the Grammys cheered for Eilish and gave her a standing ovation. However, a conservative influencer and sports journalist, Emily Austin, remained seated and also mocked the singer’s take on anti-ICI. She also recorded her live reaction to Eilish’s speech. After her reaction, Austin became the centre of discussion on social media platforms.
Emily Austin was born to Israeli parents in New York. Her parents are Modern Orthodox Jews, and she follows Jewish traditions, keeping kosher and observing Shabbat. Talking about her education, Austin attended North Shore Hebrew Academy and later studied journalism at Hofstra University. She is known for her pro-Israel stance and has also spoken on issues like antisemitism. Not just this, she has also worked with the Israeli mission for the United Nations.
While she was a sophomore journalism student at Hofstra University, she began interviewing professional athletes in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shot to fame with the web show, Daily Vibes with Emily Austin.
It landed her opportunities with MTV on Music Lives On. She also worked for Sports Illustrated as a host at NFL and boxing events. In 2023, Austin launched an NBA podcast, The Hoop Chat w/ Emily Austin, featuring NBA players. She later began working with the British sports and entertainment streaming platform, DAZN.
In addition to her career in journalism, Austin has worked as a model and judged the Miss Universe 2022 pageant. She has been a presenter for PragerU and has also appeared as a panellist on the Fox News program, Gutfeld, several times. She has over 4 million followers on social media and is known as a MAGA supporter.
At the 2026 Grammys, singer Billie Eilish won the Song of the Year award for "Wildflower". After accepting the award, she called out the ongoing ICE raids during her acceptance speech. With an 'ICE Out' pinned on her coat, Eilish said:
“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. And, yeah, it’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and 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, and f*** ICE.”
While the entire crowd gave Eilish a standing ovation, the sports host, Emily Austin, recorded her live reaction to Eilish’s speech. She also mocked the singer’s remark. In response to Eilish’s ‘ICE Out’ remark, Austin tweeted:
“Standing ovation at the Grammys after an artist said “ICE Out.” So shameful. We love our law enforcement.”
She shared another post from the 2026 Grammy Awards, featuring a photo of herself posing with the American flag. The caption to the post can be read as:
“The American flag is not a fashion accessory—it is a declaration of pride and gratitude. I am proud to stand for a country that provides us with freedom. While others use this stage to divide, I chose to walk this carpet as a proud, unapologetic voice for the values that make this nation great.”
To watch the video, click here.
What do you think about Emily Austin’s reaction?
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