The Kamala Harris campaign has reportedly decided to limit the presence of Hollywood celebrities at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This move comes as an effort to avoid being portrayed as an event catering solely to the “Hollywood liberal elite,” according to unnamed sources who spoke with TMZ. The campaign aims to distance itself from the perceived misstep of giving celebrities a major platform during the 2016 DNC, which resulted in significant backlash against Hillary Clinton.
As part of this new approach, only a few celebrities are expected to participate in the DNC event. So far, it has been confirmed that John Legend will be taking part in the program. Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has also indicated that she is likely to participate in the multi-day convention.
However, there are some notable celebrities who may not make an appearance at the DNC. Taylor Swift, who has yet to publicly endorse any candidate this election cycle despite having backed Joe Biden in 2016, is currently on tour overseas and is unlikely to attend the event. Similarly, Beyonce is not expected to show up either.
The last Democratic National Convention in 2020 heavily relied on celebrity appearances to garner support for then-candidate Joe Biden. Stars including Eva Longoria, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kerry Washington, and Tracee Ellis Ross all made appearances at the event. One particularly memorable moment saw actor Billy Porter perform a bizarre interpretive dance to the Buffalo Springfield song “For What It’s Worth.
Despite the campaign’s apparent effort to distance itself from Hollywood, Kamala Harris is still relying on celebrity influencers to promote her bid for the presidency. Hollywood elites who have been heavily promoting Kamala on social media include Rob Reiner, Mia Farrow, Julianne Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Mark Hamill, and Jamie Lee Curtis.