Duchess Meghan recruits Billie Eilish to surprise teen who lost home in LA fires

USA Today

05-02-2025

Duchess Meghan recruits Billie Eilish to surprise teen who lost home in LA fires
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Billie Eilish, Finneas at the Grammy Awards red carpet
Billie Eilish walks the Grammys red carpet next to her brother and music partner, Finneas.
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Billie Eilish's latest collaborator? The Duchess of Sussex.
In an Instagram video on Tuesday, Duchess Meghan shared that she recruited the "Bad Guy" singer to help surprise a teenager who lost her home in the Los Angeles fires.
Meghan explained that when she visited Altadena, California, last month, she "went to a community where all the homes were left in ashes" and met a woman whose 15-year-old daughter was devastated about losing a piece of Eilish merchandise when their house burned down.
"When they came back to see their house for the first time, which is as we were meeting them, all that she had been looking for in her home was the T-shirt from the Billie Eilish concert that she had just gone to that she left in the washing machine or the dryer," Meghan said. "Of course, they now see their home and the washing machine and the dryer are ash. They're not there anymore."
Meghan recalled telling the mother that although she didn't know Eilish, she would "figure out how to get you this shirt." So the Duchess of Sussex recorded a voice note for Eilish and began asking around for people who might be able to get it to her.
Duchess Meghan stops by teen's aid group amid Los Angeles fires
Eilish received the note and went above and beyond to meet Meghan's request. As the Duchess was recording the video, she was excited because an entire stack of Eilish merchandise had just arrived at her house, not just the one T-shirt that the teen lost. Meghan showed off several pieces of Eilish clothing, plus a lunchbox and a signed copy of the singer's latest album "Hit Me Hard and Soft."
"You guys, I don't even know what this stuff means, but it's signed for her," Meghan said, and she joked she felt "really old" because she didn't understand references to Eilish's music.
"Huge thank you to Billie Eilish," Meghan added. "This is going to mean so much to her."
FireAid performances: Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, No Doubt support LA wildfire recovery
Duchess Meghan, who was born in Los Angeles, and her husband Prince Harry previously opened up their home to friends evacuating during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. In a post on their website last month, the couple listed ways that followers could help, including offering friends a "safe haven in your home" and "donating clothing, children's toys & clothing, and other essentials." Meghan also visited the Altadena Teen Girls Fire Recovery, a group helping those affected by the Eaton Canyon fire, with bags of donations.
Eilish, who is also from Los Angeles, recently participated in a FireAid benefit concert raising money for those affected by the fires.
"It's a really scary time, and LA is my favorite place in the world and my only home, and I care about it so much," said Eilish, who in 2021 released a concert film that she dubbed a "love letter to" the city. "To everyone who is experiencing (hardship), I love you, and I got you."
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Melissa Ruggieri and Jennifer McClellan