Beyoncé did not make an appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention despite rumors the singer would take the stage in celebration of Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination.
“Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there,” the Grammy-winning star’s rep told The Hollywood Reporter in a Thursday, August 22, statement. “The report of a performance is untrue.”
Speculation that Beyoncé, 42, would perform at the United Center in Chicago during the DNC’s final evening sparked earlier this week. While Beyoncé had yet to officially endorse Kamala Harris, 59, before Thursday, CNN reported in July that she gave the vice president permission to use her 2016 song “Freedom” throughout her campaign. Harris first utilized the anthem during a visit to her campaign headquarters in July and has since featured it in ads and at the Democratic National Convention when she walked on stage on Monday, August 19.
Attendees of the convention have also been inspired by Beyoncé, with some delegates wearing cowboy hats and “Cowboy Kamala” sashes in reference to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, which was released in March.
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Earlier this week, Rolling Stone reported that Donald Trump’s campaign used “Freedom” without Beyoncé’s permission, leading her to threaten to send a cease and desist to the Republican presidential nominee’s camp. Trump’s team subsequently removed the video that featured the song.
In the past, Beyoncé has been a vocal supporter of Democratic nominees. She previously endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama in 2012. She also performed the national anthem at Obama’s 2013 inauguration after singing “At Last” at his 2009 inaugural ball. In 2016, Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z — with whom she shares daughter Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, 7 — headlined a pre-election concert for Clinton in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless,” Beyoncé said at the time of Clinton’s potential to become the first female president. “And that’s why I am with her.”
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In July, Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden, 81, dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president. Shortly after Biden announced that he would not seek reelection, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, publicly threw her support behind Harris.
“New, youthful, sharp, energy!!!!” Knowles, 70, captioned an Instagram photo of herself and Harris in July. “Putting personal ego, power and fame aside. That is the definition of a great leader. Thank you, President Biden, for your service and your leadership. Go Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Let’s go.”
