Speculation about a possible surprise performance by Beyoncé at the Democratic National Convention reached a fever pitch Thursday hours before Vice President Kamala Harris is set to take the stage, as celebrity gossip site TMZ reported the pop star will make an appearance during Democrats’ final night in Chicago—a report other outlets pushed back on.
Beyoncé at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on April 1, 2024 in Los ... [+]
The TMZ report, based on anonymous sources, had yet to be confirmed by any other outlets, while The Washington Post subsequently reported a source who has spoken with convention organizers said there is no special guest, such as Beyoncé, planned for Thursday.
An unnamed Beyoncé representative told The Hollywood Reporter Thursday “the report of a performance is untrue” and she was never scheduled to attend the event.
Beyoncé—who previously had not endorsed Harris as she did Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama in 2012—gave the Harris-Walz campaign exclusive rights to use her song “Freedom,” which has been Harris’ walkout song at campaign rallies.
A possible Beyoncé performance was subject to heavy speculation throughout the week—White House political director Emily Ruiz fueled the rumors earlier Thursday tweeting a single bee emoji, a veiled reference to the “BeyHive,” as Beyoncé’s fan base is known, then subsequently tweeted “sorry guys my 6 year old took my phone.”
On Tuesday morning, Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison would neither confirm nor deny to CBS Mornings that the superstar was slated to appear, saying instead “Everyday, she’s in here singing ‘Freedom.’”
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Less-serious rumors than the ones surrounding Beyoncé—about a potential Taylor Swift performance—have also been swirling in Chicago this week. Swift, who endorsed Biden’s 2020 campaign and has supported Democratic candidates in recent years, has yet to make an endorsement in this year’s presidential election.
Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Pink and country music singer Maren Morris also performed at the convention this week.
We estimated Beyoncé’s net worth at $760 million as of May.
Harris is set to take the stage on the final night of the convention to accept her party’s nomination for president, following a whirlwind rise to the top of the ticket over the past month prompted by President Joe Biden’s July 21 decision to step down in the race. Harris’ candidacy has re-energized and united Democrats, who were publicly divided on whether to continue supporting Biden in the wake of his disastrous June 27 debate performance. Throughout the week, major Democrats, including former Presidents Bill Clintons and Barack Obama and First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, have given full-throated endorsements of her presidential bid, describing her as the next generation of Democratic leadership, while also blasting former President Donald Trump.
Will Beyoncé Perform At DNC Tonight? Here’s What We Know As Rumors Swirl. (Forbes)