Fact Check: Did Kamala Harris’ campaign really pay Beyonce $10M for Texas rally endorsement?

WASHINGTON, DC: A wild rumor blew up on social media that Kamala Harris’ campaign supposedly dropped a whopping $10 million to get Beyoncé’s endorsement during her run for President.

And despite Harris’ loss to Donald Trump in the presidential election, rumors are swirling that her team is still hitting up supporters with fundraising texts. But let’s set the record straight because it’s gotten a little out of hand.

Fact Check: Did Kamala Harris pay Beyonce $10M for campaign appearance?

Since Kamala Harris’ loss in the election, posts have been popping up with alleged lists of celebrities who attended Harris’ campaign events and the supposed amounts they were paid. Unsurprisingly, Beyonce’s name appears on almost every one of these lists, usually next to that eye-popping $10 million figure.

"Beyonce got paid $10M for her few-minute speech for Kamala Harris… Millions of dollars were also paid to Eminem, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Oprah, and more. All her supporters were paid off, she put the whole campaign in debt, and she still lost. Just imagine how she would run the country…" one posted on X.

"Kamala Harris campaign paid: $1 Million - Oprah $10 Million - Beyonce $5 Million - Megan Thee Stallion $3 Million - Lizzo $1.8 Million - Eminem Was this just a massive Democrat money laundering scheme? Meanwhile, hurricane victims promised a whopping $750," another fumed.

"Kamala Harris raised over $1B, yet ended up with $20M of debt after paying: $10M to Beyoncé. $5M to Megan Thee Stallion. $2.3M to Lizzo $1.8M to Eminem Imagine if she were running our country," someone else added.

One should note that there’s no evidence to back up these claims, as verified by FactCheck.org. Beyonce’s camp has denied it, and her own mother has gone on record saying it’s all nonsense. The fact that Beyonce even paid for her own travel expenses should put these rumors to rest, but you know how the internet loves a good scandal.

How it all began and Tina Knowles's response

This whole mess kicked off when right-wing commentator Candace Owens shared a video on Instagram on Friday, November 15. In her post, Owens made some pretty bold claims alleging that Beyonce was paid a staggering $10 million just to appear at Kamala Harris’ rally in Houston last month.

Of course, the claim went viral almost instantly – after all, who wouldn’t be curious about a superstar like Beyonce supposedly getting paid big bucks for a campaign appearance?

However, there was just one problem: Owens had no proof to back up her accusations. In fact, her post has since been flagged on Instagram for spreading false information. The whole thing was labeled as fake news, but that didn’t stop it from spreading like wildfire on other platforms that didn’t take it down.

Beyonce’s mom Tina Knowles was not having it. On Saturday, she decided to speak out and clear the air about what really went down. The 70-year-old took to social media to shut down the rumors once and for all.

“So this has been flagged on Instagram as fake news and taken down,” Tina started off. “It’s called False Information. Sadly other platforms with a lack of integrity still have it up.”

“The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris’s Rally in Houston,” she wrote. “In fact, she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team and total Glam.”

She also called out those spreading the misinformation. “They are not only lying and disrespecting Beyonce’s name but they are trying to further discredit the power of our vice president! When does the lies and rumors stop? Of course, you won’t see this in the news!!!!!” Tina fumed.

Beyonce’s appearance at Kamala Harris' Houston rally

Let’s rewind to the actual event. On October 25, Beyonce made a surprise appearance at Kamala Harris’ rally in Houston, Texas. Fans were thrilled to see Queen Bey on stage, especially since she was joined by Kelly Rowland for a quick intro before Harris came on to give her speech.

Although many in the crowd were hoping for a musical performance, Beyonce delivered an emotional endorsement instead.

“We are at the precipice of an enormous shift,” Beyoncé told the audience. “I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother."

She continued, “A mother who cares about the world our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we are not divided, our past or present or future.”

“We’re all part of something much bigger. We must vote, and we need you,” she urged. Finally, she introduced Kamala Harris. “Let’s do this. Ladies and gentlemen, give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris," Beyonce proclaimed.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.