Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong took a defiant stand during a concert in London, declaring his intention to renounce his U.S. citizenship. Upon learning of the court’s ruling mid-concert, Armstrong addressed the London audience, expressing his outrage over the U.S.’s failure to protect women’s reproductive rights and his decision to renounce his citizenship.
During his impassioned speech, Armstrong criticized the global state of affairs, referring to the world as “stupid” and singling out the U.S. as a “miserable” place. He also indicated his reluctance to return to the U.S. following the band’s European tour. Despite these sentiments, Green Day has returned to the U.S. for scheduled performances in Chicago and San Francisco and plans to tour South America with shows in Brazil and Argentina in September.
Despite Armstrong’s critique of the U.S., the London audience responded with applause. He allowed the applause to linger before confirming to the crowd that he was serious about renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Armstrong also hinted at his interest in relocating to the U.K., telling the London audience, “You’re going to see a lot more of me in the coming days.”
The following day, Armstrong returned to the London stage and reiterated his opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision, exclaiming, “F*** the Supreme Court and America.” Following his statement, Green Day performed their hit song “American Idiot.”
Armstrong is not the only music star reacting to the Supreme Court’s conservative decision, which shifts the responsibility of protecting women’s reproductive rights from the federal to the state level. Many red states are now working to restrict access to abortions, limiting women’s access to essential healthcare services.
Singer Billie Eilish also expressed her outrage at the Supreme Court’s decision during a performance in July 2022.
“Today is a really, really dark day for women in the U.S. I’m just going to say that as I cannot bear to think about it any longer at this moment,” Eilish commented. She then dedicated her song “Your Power” to the conservative Supreme Court justices responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. “The song we’re about to perform is, I think, one of our favorites, and it’s about the concept of power and how we need to always remember not to abuse it.”
What are your thoughts on Billie Joe Armstrong’s decision to renounce his American citizenship?