Kamala Harris and Celebrity Endorsements: Did She Pay for Support? Oprah Weighs In

Tyler Kent | 12 November 2024
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Celebrity Interviews
Kamala Harris and Celebrity Endorsements: Did She Pay for Support? Oprah Weighs In

Kamala Harris's campaign has come under fire amid allegations that it spent millions on celebrity endorsements. A politically right-leaning account on X (formerly Twitter) claimed the Harris campaign allocated $20 million to secure celebrity support, allegedly including stars like Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Eminem, and Oprah Winfrey.

Since Donald Trump's decisive win over the Democratic nominee in last Tuesday's election, similar claims have circulated online. Winfrey, who attended Harris’s final rally in Philadelphia, denied the allegations, telling TMZ on Monday, “Not true. I was paid nothing, ever.”

The claim was widely covered, including by outlets such as the Washington Examiner and Fox News. Online, further rumors suggested Beyoncé received $10 million to perform at a Harris rally in Houston. However, both FactCheck.org and PolitiFact debunked these claims, with a Harris campaign official and Beyoncé’s publicist calling them “beyond ridiculous.”

Two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions Inc., appeared on the Harris campaign’s disbursements to the Federal Election Committee marked as "event production," though the exact purpose remains unclear. Expenses like travel and event production are common at rallies and don’t necessarily equate to direct celebrity payments.

The scrutiny over Harris’s celebrity endorsements comes as her campaign faces criticism for reportedly spending around $1 billion on the election and ending with $20 million in debt. Some, including Trump supporters Joe Rogan and Elon Musk, argued that Harris’s association with Hollywood may have distanced her from voters focused on issues like the economy.

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