Fact Check: Did Coca-Cola cut ties with Taylor Swift over her Kamala Harris endorsement?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Taylor Swift found herself at the center of a bizarre rumor mill after the pop sensation endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris for president following the Vice President's debate with her GOP rival Donald Trump earlier this month.

While there was nothing wrong with the endorsement, things quickly spiraled out of control when fake claims about her partnership with Coca-Cola started circulating. The rumors were that the beverage giant had ended its long-standing relationship with Swift due to her politics. But it ended up being some cleverly crafted satire that confused the internet.

Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris shook things up

Taylor Swift took to Instagram to show her support for Kamala Harris on the heels of her heated debate with former president Donald Trump.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift wrote in the caption, before adding, “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

Swift listed the causes she feels strongly about — specifically LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms — dubbing Harris a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior.”

The 'Fortnight' hitmaker also addressed some of the misinformation floating around—particularly some fake AI-generated images that Trump had reposted online suggesting that Swift supported him.

“It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she shared. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

Swift signed the post as “Childless Cat Lady,” throwing some playful shade at Trump’s running mate JD Vance who had used that phrase to belittle Democratic leaders who don’t have children.

Satire sparks chaos

You’d think Taylor Swift’s endorsement would be the hot topic of the week, but that all changed when a post from the “SpaceX Fanclub” Facebook page lit up social media with a rumor.

On Sunday, September 15, the fan page uploaded a post with the caption, “Coca-Cola Ends Long-Term Partnership with Taylor Swift: ‘We don’t support her endorsement.’”

Cue the internet losing its mind. People were quick to speculate, wondering if Swift’s politics had cost her a major corporate deal.

But here’s the catch—the post was completely satirical! SpaceX Fanclub’s bio even states, “We post SATTIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

It seems the humor was lost on some folks, which is why the page had to clarify that the post was a joke by writing, “This is a satire post.”

While the SpaceX Fanclub post was enough to get people talking, it wasn’t the only satirical jab out there. An online article from Esspots took the rumor even further, claiming that Coca-Cola had ended its partnership with Taylor Swift because of her political endorsements.

The article declared: "What was once a harmonious relationship between America’s favorite soft drink and America’s sweetheart has now gone flat..."

However, just like the SpaceX Fanclub post, this article was also meant to be taken with a grain of salt. In fact, Esspots is known for its satirical content, with its "About Us" page clearly stating that its team is dedicated to "bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire."

Nonetheless, people started to question if Coca-Cola really had severed ties with Swift over her political leanings. After all Swift had been in partnership with the company since 2013, serving as the face of Diet Coke for several years.

According to a press release reported by The Hollywood Reporter back in January 2013, Swift was to be “integrated into all key marketing efforts for the brand—including advertising, retail activation, experiential and more." The partnership was a big deal at the time, with Swift even announcing it herself on her YouTube channel.

The real story behind Taylor Swift's Coca-Cola partnership

So, what’s the truth behind all the noise? Despite the speculation and satire, there is no evidence that Coca-Cola has ended its partnership with Taylor Swift due to her endorsement of Kamala Harris.

In fact, the partnership was mostly active between 2013 and 2019. During that period, Swift was probably the biggest face of the brand — especially for Diet Coke.

However, the relationship between Swift and the beverage giant has been relatively quiet in recent years.

Some reports suggest that the partnership cooled off after Coca-Cola was accused of donating money to political candidates who advocated for illegalizing abortion, something that is at odds with Swift’s vocal support for women’s reproductive rights.

That said, the verdict is in: The satirical posts about Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and the supposed fallout with Coca-Cola have been thoroughly debunked.