While Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party's nomination on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, social media was alight with chatter about somebody who wasn't there at all: Beyoncé.
On Thursday, Harris took the stage at the Chicago event at about 10:30 p.m. to accept the party's official nomination, nearly a month after she entered the presidential race following President Joe Biden's exit on July 21.
"I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans," Harris told supporters. "You can always trust me to put country above party and self. To hold sacred America's fundamental principles from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power."
However, the big conversation on the internet revolved around a flurry of ultimately erroneous reports that singer Beyoncé would be a surprise performer as the event concluded. There had also been anticipation that pop star Taylor Swift—who has yet to endorse a candidate—would make an appearance. Neither star did. Last month, it was falsely reported recently that the two would be hosting a fundraiser for Harris.
A representative of Beyoncé told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday that the star wasn't ever on the roster for the DNC. "Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there," the spokesperson said. "The report of a performance is untrue."
So what happened? Brian Friedman, who previously served as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama's administration, took to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night to explain how the rumor duped the internet.
Friedman pointed out how popular anonymous X account @angry_staffer—which it is claimed is run by a former White House staffer—announced that the final day of the DNC was not to be missed, given an appearance by someone with star power.
"If you thought the Oprah surprise was big, just wait," they wrote on Wednesday in a since-deleted post. The account has more than 600,000 followers.
As Friedman noted, minutes after the post was shared, another account with more than 100,000 followers—@FordJohnathan5—ambiguously declared that there was a "gap in tonight's DNC schedule" for a "special guest."
The X account of White House Political Director Emmy Ruiz appeared to all but confirm the rumors of the "special guest" in question when an emoji of a bee with no accompanying words was posted. Beyoncé's fanbase is called the Beyhive, while the singer herself is often referred to as "Queen Bey."
However, the post, Ruiz later stated, was actually not from her. "Sorry guys my 6 year old took my phone," she wrote in response to her own initial bee post.
But the damage had been done. The fast pace of the internet saw HuffPost deputy editor Phil Lewis highlight the bee post by noting Ruiz's White House position, appearing to suggest that this added credence to the claims.
TMZ then went on to report that Beyoncé was in Chicago and would be making an appearance on the final night the DNC. After the claims failed to materialize, a post was shared on TMZ's X account that quoted Beyoncé's track "Texas Hold 'Em."
"To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down, down ... we got this one wrong," read the post.
Also admitting to sharing bad information, the @angry_staffer account shared an apology, before stating: "Even people at the DNC were hearing that Beyoncé was in the building, so whoever started the rumor got a whole bunch of us.
"Maybe it was a ratings ploy by the DNC, but I don't think so-they had a hell of a lineup either way, and it was a fantastic performance."
Newsweek has contacted a representative of Beyoncé via email for comment.
Despite Beyoncé's absence from the DNC, the event was a star-studded one throughout the four days it ran. There were performances by Lil Jon, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Pink, The Chicks, and Patti LaBelle, to name but a few. There were also appearances from Oprah Winfrey, former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
While Beyoncé has yet to announce who she is backing in the upcoming presidential election, she did grant Harris permission to use her track "Freedom" as she hit the campaign trail. According to CNN, the Harris team plans to use the track, which features rapper Kendrick Lamar, in the weeks leading up to election day.
Beyoncé supported Barack Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign. She performed at his inauguration and continued to express support for his policies. In 2016, she endorsed Hillary Clinton and performed at a fundraiser for the former secretary of state.
The Grammy winner has been a prominent advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. Her 2016 Super Bowl performance, which included references to the Black Panther Party, and her 2016 album Lemonade—which includes "Freedom"—addressed issues of racial identity and social justice.
In the 2020 election, Beyoncé endorsed Biden and Harris, using her platform to encourage voting and political engagement. The singer has addressed various social justice issues through her music and public statements. She has spoken out against police brutality, racial inequality, and gender inequality. Her work often reflects a commitment to these causes, blending activism with her artistic expression.
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