Kamala Harris under fire as secret payments to millionaire celebrities come to light, including one who said she got nothing

The recently released campaign finance reports of former vice president Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign are triggering concerns about payments made to firms connected with high-profile celebrities who openly endorsed her, including some who claim that were not paid for endorsing, as per a report.

Some of the most striking disclosures include a $50,000 payment to NBA superstar LeBron James' production firm, SpringHill Entertainment, according to Daily Mail. The payment was made on January 28, 2025, just days after US president Donald Trump was sworn in as president following his election victory, and the paymemnt was only revealed months later, as per the report.

James, who never actively campaigned for Harris, shared a post to his more than 200 million followers on X and Instagram supporting Harris' candidacy, he posted a video suggesting that Trump was racist against black people and even made an advertisement called "Hate Takes Us Back", as per Daily mail. That commercial was produced in collaboration with his firm, according to the report.


SpringHill wrote a post at that time, saying, "We are thrilled to have collaborated on producing this ad for LeBron James as he officially endorses Kamala Harris," as quoted in the report.

Cardi B Said She Wasn't Paid — But Her Business Was

The celebrity financial transactions with the campaign didn't end there. The details about the filings first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, indicate that Harris's campaign also paid Washpoppin INC., the company of rapper Cardi B, $58,867 for "campaign event production," as per the report. That payment also occurred after the election, even though Cardi B publicly claimed that she "didn't get paid a dollar" following backlash on social media of getting paid by the campaign to endorse Harris, reported Daily Mail.

Big Payouts to Big Names

Other celebrity names associated with the campaign's coffers include Beyoncé, who was paid $165,000 via her team for a four-minute address at a Houston rally, as per the report. Lady Gaga's business, Mermaid Touring, was paid $132,753, while Gracie Abrams' business August 8, Inc. was paid $132,335, according to the report. R&B singer Khalid's business, TGK Touring, was paid $98,000, reported Daily Mail.

According to Daily Mail, the most eye-popping figure to come out of the revelations was a payment of $1 million to Oprah Winfrey's production firm. Another $500,000 paid out to a nonprofit organization associated with Rev. Al Sharpton preceded Harris' appearance on his MSNBC show, while $100,000 paid to an Obama-associated firm was for campaign appearances, as per the report.

Campaign Denies Payments to Celebrities

However, even after the increasing scrutiny, Harris campaign still insists that no celebrity was ever paid for endorsements, according to Daily Mail.

Adrienne Elrod, senior Harris campaign spokesperson, told in November to Deadline, "We have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person," quoted Daily Mail.

FAQs

Why is Kamala Harris's campaign under scrutiny right now?
Because recent finance disclosures revealed payments to companies owned by celebrities who publicly endorsed her, though they have denied the claims.

Did LeBron James get paid for supporting Kamala Harris?
Not directly. But his company, SpringHill Entertainment, received $50,000 from the Harris campaign after he endorsed her and shared a video critical of Donald Trump.