Did Kamala Harris Pay Celebrities in Her Campaign?

A report surfaced claiming that Harris paid Oprah Winfrey $1 million during her presidential campaign, but Winfrey debunked the rumor.

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November 12, 2024 9:41AM EST
Did Kamala Harris Pay Celebrities in Her Campaign?
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The 2024 U.S. presidential election ended with Donald Trump‘s second win, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite numerous celebrities endorsing the Democratic candidate, Harris still lost both the Electoral College and the popular vote. Now, a rumor has surfaced claiming that Harris paid for her celebrity endorsements. While the VP has not publicly addressed the allegation yet, one celebrity responded to the report.

Find out whether or not Harris or Trump paid for their celebrity endorsements.

Which Celebrities Endorsed Harris?

A majority of Hollywood endorsed Harris during her campaign. Among the biggest names were Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Aniston.

Did Kamala Pay Celebrities During Her Campaign?

After the 2024 election results came in, rumors spread about alleged payments between the Harris campaign and celebrities who endorsed her. According to The Washington Examiner, a source claimed that Harris’ team spent “six figures on building a set for Harris’ appearance on the popular ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast with host Alex Cooper.”

The outlet further claimed that Harris’ team paid Oprah Winfrey‘s Harpo Productions $1 million.

A spokesperson for Winfrey’s Harpo Productions denied the report in a statement obtained by Variety, which read, “The campaign paid for the production costs of ‘Unite for America,’ a live-streaming event that took place [on] September 19 outside Detroit, Michigan. Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo.”

Additionally, Oprah was questioned about the reports and claimed she was “paid nothing — ever,” calling the rumors “not true,” according to a video published by TMZ.

How Much Did Kamala Pay Celebrities During Her Campaign?

A political news X account called “Breaking911” claimed that Harris payed $20 million in celebrity endorsements.

“HOLY SMOKES! Kamala’s campaign wasted $20M to buy the endorsements of celebrities $5M to Megan Thee Stallion $3M to Lizzo $1.8M for Eminem $1M for Oprah Paid 6 figures to appear on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast,” the account tweeted on November 11, 2024.

However, the claim was not verified, and Winfrey debunked the rumor.

Did Trump Pay for His Celebrity Endorsements?

It’s unclear if Trump paid any celebrities who endorsed him. Since Winfrey denied being paid by Harris’ campaign, it’s also unlikely that Trump paid anyone as well.

Do Celebrities Get Paid to Endorse Politicians?

It’s unclear if public figures get paid anything to support a politician. However, social media influencers became involved in recent elections, and they did not have to reveal their earnings to the public. According to CNN, content creators are not required “to disclose if they’ve been paid to endorse a candidate or speak about a political issue on their page.”