Joni Mitchell, the 82-year-old folk legend born in Alberta, Canada, has officially become a U.S. citizen, more than six decades after she first moved across the border.
Mitchell shared footage of her naturalization ceremony on Instagram on Tuesday, along with a photo of herself standing next to an American flag. The caption read: “A journey that began 62 years ago.” In the photo, Mitchell wore a red beret and sunglasses, with extra stars and stripes pinned to her cardigan.
The citizenship means Mitchell can now vote in U.S. elections, something she had repeatedly said frustrated her as a longtime American resident.
At a concert in 2024, according to the Guardian, Mitchell said: “Fuck Donald Trump, I love that song,” referring to the YG rap track. She added at the time: “I wish I could vote … I’m a Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”
She has made other public comments critical of the former president. Earlier this year, during a rare appearance to accept a lifetime achievement award at the Juno Awards in Canada, the Los Angeles resident told the audience she was relieved to be back home, saying: “I’m living in the States and you know what’s happening there.” She went on to praise Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling him “a blessing” and telling the crowd, “You guys are so fortunate.”
Asked for a response to Mitchell’s remarks, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said: “Who the hell is Joni Mitchell?”
A Long Road to U.S. Citizenship
Mitchell was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943 and grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where she played her earliest shows at local folk clubs before moving on to Calgary and then Toronto. It was in Toronto that she met American folk singer Chuck Mitchell. The two married in 1965, and she relocated to the United States. The marriage ended two years later, but Mitchell has remained in the U.S. ever since.
Mitchell is also the subject of an in-progress documentary from director Cameron Crowe, who began working on the project in the early 2020s. Separately, record executive Clive Davis announced earlier this year that Meryl Streep is set to play Mitchell in an as yet untitled biopic.
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