Mark Ruffalo defended Billie Eilish’s defense after Kevin O’Leary criticized the singer for her anti-ICE speech at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The actor addressed the controversy on Threads, where he strongly pushed back against O’Leary’s remarks.
On Thursday, February 6, Mark Ruffalo reshared a Threads post detailing O’Leary’s criticism of Eilish. In his repost, Ruffalo directly called out the businessman and told him to “STFU.” Mark Ruffalo then expanded on his criticism by accusing Kevin O’Leary of living in a “fantasy double standard,” suggesting that O’Leary freely criticized others while failing to apply the same scrutiny to himself.
“It’s astounding the fantasy double standard Kevin O’Leary lives in. You played yourself well in Marty Supreme,” Mark Ruffalo wrote
Ruffalo’s comment referenced the A24 film Marty Supreme, in which Kevin O’Leary portrayed Milton Rockwell, a wealthy and ruthless New York businessman in the 1950s. In the film, Rockwell functioned as both a benefactor and an antagonist to a young ping-pong prodigy played by Timothée Chalamet.
In his Threads post, Mark Ruffalo also criticized what he saw as Kevin O’Leary’s tendency to “go on any show” and “talk shit” about a wide range of topics while “smugly” expecting the public to take his opinions seriously.
“It’s hilarious. You will go on any show and talk shit about any number of things and smugly expect us to listen to you, but you will dig into a real artist that dwarfs anything you dream of doing for actually saying something that resonates with 100’s of millions of people the world over,” Mark Ruffalo wrote.
Additionally, Mark Ruffalo was not the only high-profile figure to defend Billie Eilish and criticize Kevin O’Leary.
The original Threads post shared by Ruffalo also featured a response from Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas O’Connell, who publicly backed the singer and issued a sharp rebuke to O’Leary.
“Seeing a lot of very powerful old white men outraged about what my 24 year old sister said during her acceptance speech. We can literally see your names in the Epstein files,” Finneas O’Connell wrote.
Kevin O’Leary slams Billie Eilish for her Grammys speech
Mark Ruffalo’s recent remarks about Kevin O’Leary were specifically in response to Kevin O’Leary publicly criticizing Billie Eilish after the singer used her 2026 Grammy Awards acceptance speech to make a political statement.
The backlash unfolded earlier in the week after Billie Eilish addressed immigration policies during the Grammys on Sunday, February 1. Speaking after winning Song of the Year for Wildflower, the singer voiced her opposition to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement and wore an “ICE OUT” pin as part of her outfit.
During her speech, Billie Eilish reflected on the tension she felt while accepting the award, acknowledging both her gratitude and discomfort.
“I feel so honored every time I get to be in this room… And, 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. … It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I feel really hopeful in this room,” Billie Eilish said (as per The Hollywood Reporter report dated February 5)
She went on to encourage activism, calling on viewers to continue “fighting,” “speaking up,” and “protesting.” Eilish then punctuated her remarks with a blunt denunciation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which was censored during the CBS broadcast.
“F**k ICE,” Billie Eilish said.
Kevin O’Leary responded two days later during an appearance on Fox News’ America Reports on Tuesday, February 3, where he framed Billie Eilish’s remarks as a risky business decision rather than a moral stand. He warned that taking strong political positions could cost artists a significant portion of their audience.
“Half the people in politics that you piss off won’t buy your music anymore…Don’t be stupid about it, but hey, they don’t listen,” Kevin O’Leary said (as per The Hollywood Reporter report dated February 5).
The Shark Tank investor expanded on his criticism by arguing that celebrities should prioritize entertainment over advocacy.
“It’s the first lesson 101 for celebrity: As you rise up, whether you’re a film star, a music star [or] whatever, shut your mouth and just entertain,” Kevin O’Leary said.
Mark Ruffalo speaks out against ICE shootings at the Golden Globes red carpet
Mark Ruffalo has been quite outspoken about fatal shootings involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He used his appearance at the Golden Globe Awards red carpet to draw attention to the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Keith Porter.
According to a USA TODAY report dated January 13, the actor arrived at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on January 11 wearing black-and-white pins that read “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT.”
The pins were a direct response to the killing of Good, who was fatally shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7. Porter, a Los Angeles resident, was also shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve.
Ruffalo explained that the pins were meant as a public statement of remembrance and protest.
“This is for Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered,” Ruffalo told USA TODAY on the red carpet.
The actor then broadened his remarks to sharply criticize President Donald Trump, accusing him of undermining international law and morality. Ruffalo claimed the U.S. was involved in an illegal conflict with Venezuela and suggested that Trump’s actions showed disregard for global legal standards.
“We’re in the middle of a war with Venezuela that we illegally invaded. He’s telling the world that international law doesn’t matter to him. The only thing that matters to him is his own morality, but the guy is a convicted felon; a convicted r*pist,” he said.
Mark Ruffalo escalated his criticism further, stating that Trump was “the worst human being” and expressing fear over what he described as the consequences of relying on Trump’s moral judgment to lead the most powerful country in the world.
“He’s a pedophile…He’s the worst human being. If we’re relying on this guy’s morality for the most powerful country in the world, then we’re all in a lot of trouble,” Ruffalo said.
Ruffalo also reiterated that his statement was not only about Renee Good but also about people across the country who, he said, were feeling “terrorized and scared.” He described himself as one of those people and emphasized his love for the United States, while saying that what he was witnessing did not align with what he believed America stood for.
At present, Kevin O’Leary remains focused on expanding his investments in AI and cryptocurrency infrastructure, including overseeing 26,000 acres earmarked for data center development. He has not publicly responded to Mark Ruffalo’s remarks directed at him.
While Billie Eilish’s brother addressed O’Leary’s criticism of the singer, Eilish herself has stayed silent on the matter and has not issued any public reaction.
Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo is gearing up for his next big-screen appearance in the upcoming thriller Crime 101, where he will star alongside Chris Hemsworth. Despite recent rumors, the actor remains on solid footing with Marvel Studios and is widely expected to return as Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Edited by Shayari Roy
