Oprah Winfrey Denies Receiving $1 Million for Kamala Harris Campaign Event
While Winfrey denied personal payment, a statement from Harpo Productions confirmed that the Harris campaign covered production costs for the town hall event, though no specific amount was disclosed.
By Bianca Shaw // EEW Magazine Online
Unite for America rally with Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey has refuted claims that she was personally paid $1 million for hosting a campaign event for Kamala Harris, stating she did not receive any personal fee.
"Not true—I was paid nothing, ever," Winfrey told a TMZ reporter on Monday when asked about compensation for her endorsement.
While Winfrey denied personal payment, a statement from Harpo Productions confirmed that the Harris campaign covered production costs for the town hall event, though no specific amount was disclosed.
Reports had circulated online alleging that Harpo Productions received a significant fee from the Harris campaign for the October town hall, which featured high-profile guests. However, Harpo Productions clarified, "Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee through Harpo."
The event, held to support Harris's presidential bid, included onscreen appearances by Tracee Ellis Ross, Bryan Cranston, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and Julia Roberts. The town hall was streamed live on Harris's campaign YouTube channel, drawing over 1.2 million views within 12 hours of its release.
Kamala Harris concedes the election to Donald J. Trump (Credit: Getty)
Unverified claims have also surfaced alleging that other celebrities—including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and LeBron James—were compensated for their endorsements. However, these reports remain unsubstantiated.
According to The Washington Examiner, Harris's campaign spent over $15 million on production fees for various events and over $654 million on advertising between July and early November. Despite raising an estimated $1 billion and outspending her opponent, Harris ultimately lost the presidential race to Donald Trump. According to numerous reports, Harris’s presidential campaign ended with over $20 million in debt.
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Trump won decisively, capturing 312 Electoral College votes to Harris's 226, surpassing the 270 votes required for victory. He also led in the popular vote, receiving approximately 74.65 million votes compared to Harris's 70.9 million—a margin of nearly 3.75 million. This marks the first time since 2004 that a Republican candidate has won the popular vote.
Trump's success was reinforced by flipping critical battleground states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the Republican Party has regained control of the Senate and is close to securing a majority in the House of Representatives. With this legislative support, Trump will likely have a smoother path to enact his policy agenda when he is inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
