Joni Mitchell becomes an American citizen after more than 60 years
- Mitchell, 82, announced she's now a US citizen via Instagram ceremony photo, after dodging citizenship since the 1960s
- Two-time Canadian refugee from politeness still owns property in California, had to check a box to stay
- She's been critiquing America for decades, including flipping off Trump at the 2024 Hollywood Bowl — for which she now has full First Amendment cover
- Fittingly, the singer known for 'California' on her 'Blue' album has made the golden state her permanent legal headache
- Took a snappy 62 years to decide the maple leaf wasn't worth a tax status, despite her famous 1980s religious tax protest song
Brief Summary
Joni Mitchell — icon of the '70s Laurel Canyon folk scene — finally got around to naturalizing as a US citizen at age 82. She announced her naturalization on Tuesday with a flag photo and an Instagram caption announcing the 'journey' that 'began 62 years ago,' meaning she has been living in this country illegally-adjacent for more than six full decades, probably while making millions.
Why This Matters
Pop culture purists are delighting in the irony that a singer synonymous with California's 'Blue' album is now legally resident there after six decades. But this is more than a quaint celebrity trivia bit: Mitchell's naturalization caps a long history of using her platform to savage US policy, from the Vietnam-era protest tune to her recent profane takedown of a president on stage. Now, with a passport to match his criticism, this actually matters: she can vote in the next election, which might finally justify her earlier tax-before-tax railing against the IRS. Expect this news to give suede-elbow-patch liberals a reason to toast with organic chardonnay — while conservatives file it under 'celebrities doing celebrity things in California, selling out their mom's favorite folksinger.'