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Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj react to Twin Cities chaos

Neal Justin, The Minnesota Star Tribune on

Published in Entertainment News

MINNEAPOLIS — National celebrities normally might have a hard time finding the Twin Cities on a map. But these days, the area appears to be top of minds. In the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, many well-known entertainers have weighed in with their opinions.

Here’s a sampling of what they had to say.

Bruce Springsteen

In an unadvertised appearance Jan. 17 at an annual benefit concert in New Jersey, the rocker dedicated his song “The Promised Land” to Good.

“If you believe in the power of law and that no one stands above it,” he said in a nearly two-minute introduction during the annual Light of Day fundraiser, “if you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens, if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president, as the mayor of that city has said: ICE should get the [expletive] out of Minneapolis.”

James Woods

The Oscar-nominated actor has never been shy about sharing his conservative views on social media. His recent tweets show his support for White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller (“a political genius, a brilliant historian, and a true patriot”), his disdain for Gov. Tim Walz (“shut up and start packing for prison”) and his belief that the protests are a “funded insurrection.”

“So if you try to murder a law enforcement agent,” he tweeted on Jan. 8, the day after Good was killed, “it’s allowed if you have stuffed animals in your glove box?”

Billie Eilish

Two days after Good was shot, the pop star made several posts on Instagram story condemning ICE, which she labeled “a federally funded and supported terrorist group.” She also called for the officer who shot Good to be arrested and charged immediately.

She referenced the situation in Minnesota while receiving the MLK Jr. Beloved Community Award for Environmental Justice on Jan. 17 in Atlanta.

“It’s very strange to be celebrated for working towards environmental justice at a time where it feels less achievable than ever given the state of our country and the world right now,” she said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “We’re seeing our neighbors being kidnapped, peaceful protesters being assaulted and murdered.”

Kevin Sorbo

The Mound-raised actor, best known for starring in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” was quick to weigh in after activists disrupted services at St. Paul’s Cities Church, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly serves as a pastor.

“If a Christian barged into drag queen story hour and swore at all of the people there, it would be labeled a hate crime,” he tweeted Jan. 19, the day after the incident.

Nicki Minaj

The rapper went after former CNN host Don Lemon on X with a series of tweets starting on Jan. 18, lambasting him for covering the church protest. “HOW DARE YOU?” she wrote in all caps alongside a picture of Chucky from the movie “Child’s Play.” “I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP.” Her comments have triggered a social media war with Lemon.

Jimmy Kimmel

 

Most of the late-night hosts have had plenty to say about ICE in Minnesota, but Kimmel went a step further on the Jan. 15 episode in which he offered up some of his trophies to President Donald Trump, an obvious reference to the president accepting Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize. He vowed that he was willing to give up his collection, which includes a Clio, a Webby and a Daytime Emmy, on one condition.

“I will personally deliver any or even all of these to the Oval Office in exchange for leaving the people of Minneapolis alone,” he said.

Simu Liu

The actor, best known for the movies “Barbie” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” took to X the day after the shooting.

“Beyond appalled at the murderous actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis,” he wrote. “Don’t be manipulated by rhetoric; there is a video, and it clearly shows the murder of an unarmed woman driving away. AWAY.”

Other actors who criticized ICE on social media within 48 hours of the shooting include Cynthia Nixon, Amanda Seyfried and Eva Longoria.

Mark Ruffalo

Most of the winners at the Golden Globes on Jan. 11 stayed away from politics in their acceptance speeches. But several, including Ariana Grande and Jean Smart, showed their anti-ICE stances by wearing “Be Good” and “ICE out” pins. Ruffalo, whose credits include “Spotlight,” “Poor Things” and “The Avengers,” wasn’t shy about vocalizing his thoughts on the red carpet.

“This is for the people in the United States who are terrorized and scared today,” he said, when asked about his pin. “I know I’m one of them. I love this country. And what I’m seeing here happening is not America.”

Ellen DeGeneres

The comedian has largely stayed away from hot-button issues since the end of her daytime talk show in 2022. But she weighed in Jan. 18 in a social media video titled “Minneapolis, I love you.” In the 45-second clip, she mentioned that she taped her 2024 stand-up special in the city because people told her it was the “happiest city in America.”

“I found that to be true,” said DeGeneres, who reportedly moved to the United Kingdom more than a year ago. “So my thoughts and my prayers are going out to everyone and I’m proud of everyone who’s protesting peacefully and I’m sorry for anyone who has been hurt just for protesting, for doing what you should be doing.”

Joe Rogan

Lots of podcasters have weighed in on what’s going on in Minnesota. But few have had as much influence as Rogan, who has gone from club comic to political powerhouse over the past decade. He’s popular among conservatives, which may be why his recent anti-ICE comments took some people by surprise. “Are we really going to be the Gestapo?” he said on his Jan. 13 show with guest Sen. Rand Paul. “‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?”

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(Jon Bream of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.)

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©2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

 

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