When celebrities weigh in on elections, do they win hearts or lose fans?

Pharrell Williams said he “doesn’t really do politics.”

The famed musician made the statement during an interview when asked if he would be supporting any candidates in the 2024 election.

Williams is fast becoming an outlier among his peers. In recent days, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted events featuring Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, and Lizzo. Pop stars Katy Perry, Jessica Alba, and Taylor Swift have also lent their support. Musician Kid Rock has made no secret of his support for President Trump, even performing a raucous concert at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC).

Who’s in the right? Does public support of candidates help or hurt a celebrity’s brand?

For Swift, the move seems to have been a net-positive: in the time since publicly endorsing Harris on September 10, the pop singer gained 1.85 million followers on the Spotify music streaming service, 260,000 Instagram followers, and 3.9 million new YouTube subscribers. Fans who disagreed with the endorsement didn’t abandon the songstress, preferring instead to keep dissent within the fanbase: “Swifties for Trump” emerged soon after Swift took a side.

Not all celebrities have fared as well. Katy Perry’s most recent album tanked following her Harris endorsement. Jessica Alba faced similar backlash: a YouTube short Alba filmed with Harris shows VP Harris stating Latina small businesses are the fastest growing in the country, to which Alba replies with snapping fingers, “Yes they are! Yes they are!” Fans called the move “super creepy.” Others expressed their disappointment, saying they would unfollow her and stop buying her products because of the endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket.

On the other side of the aisle, stars staking out a spot in the GOP nominee’s corner include Azealia Banks, Hulk Hogan, and Russell Brand. Banks (who was outspoken in her support for Trump in 2016) attended a Trump rally in Florida in July. Hogan made headlines as a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention when he ripped his shirt in two to reveal a Trump-Vance tee underneath. “The Hulkster” told Fox News that he’d seen an “outpouring of support” for the move as he traveled the country in the weeks following. Brand also attended the RNC — and, despite blowback, he’s sticking with his horse in the race.

Celebrities bring headlines to campaigns, but do they bring votes?

Vote.gov traffic surged after Swift announced her endorsement of Harris on Instagram. Megan Thee Stallion sang and twerked on stage at a Kamala rally in Atlanta urging the estimated 10,000 people in attendance vote to “make history with the first black female president.” Kid Rock was the headlining act at a Log Cabin Republicans “GOP Unity” event on September 29 and hosted a MAGA-centric music festival in August. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker announced his endorsement of Trump at a get-out-the-vote rally in Missouri. And former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was a featured speaker at a Trump campaign event in September.

A Harvard study published in August 2024 found that famous endorsers can have a substantial effect on promoting participation in elections, particularly in efforts encouraging voter turnout. “Celebrities have a unique ability to connect with younger generations in ways that mainstream media and other get-out-the-vote efforts may not be able to,” the analysis states.

One thing is clear: whenever a celebrity wades into the world of campaigns, they’re putting their brand at risk. It’s why Dolly Parton has steered clear of politics for the entirety of her decades-long career.

“I’ve got as many Republican fans as Democrats,” Parton said in a 2017 interview. “And I don’t want to make any of them mad at me, so I don’t play politics.”

Advice for celebrities pursuing career longevity: Don’t quit your day job.

[Photo credits: Kid Rock: Rich Girard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, flipped horizontal). Taylor Swift: Cosmopolitan UK, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)]

Tags: Speech