Singer Billie Eilish is facing online criticism after officiating her brother Finneas O'Connell's wedding at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. Critics on social media platforms have resurfaced Eilish's February statement at the Grammy Awards where she declared, "no one is illegal on stolen land."
Social media users have posted comments such as "Was this on stolen land?" and "She is on stolen land" in reference to the wedding venue.
The San Ysidro Ranch is located in an area historically inhabited by the Chumash people. According to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, their ancestral territory encompassed approximately 7,000 square miles along California's Central and Southern coasts, extending inland. Historical records confirm this region was Chumash territory before European settlement.
Spanish colonization in the Santa Barbara area began in the late 18th century, with the establishment of the Santa Barbara Presidio in 1782 and Mission Santa Barbara in 1786. The San Ysidro Ranch itself was named by Franciscan monks in the late 1700s. The property has a long history, with its Old Adobe built in 1825 by mission padres. It later developed into a citrus ranch and a small hotel, which opened in 1893 and has hosted notable figures including Sir Winston Churchill and the Kennedys. Ty Warner purchased the property in 2000 and undertook extensive renovations.
O'Connell, 29, married his longtime girlfriend Claudia Sulewski, 30, at the ranch. Eilish, 24, served as the officiant. The couple met in 2018, bought a home together the following year, and became engaged in September 2025 after seven years of dating. Sulewski is an actress, YouTuber, and founder of the skincare brand Cyklar. The wedding weekend reportedly included celebrity guests such as Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, and Nina Dobrev.