A former Democratic fundraiser is accusing Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign of using celebrity speculation to drive rally attendance, claiming in a new book that the campaign benefited from rumors involving Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny.
Lindy Li, described in the source report as a former major DNC fundraiser who raised millions for Joe Biden and Harris, makes the claims in Unburdened: A Former Democrat Insider’s Shocking Account of Political Power, Betrayal, and Party Collapse, which publisher Harper is set to release on Sept. 22.
According to an excerpt reported by the New York Post and cited by Headline USA, Li wrote that “Team Harris wielded celebrities as crowd-wrangling bait,” framing the strategy as an effort to generate excitement around campaign events that she suggested may otherwise have drawn smaller crowds.
Beyoncé Rumor at the Convention
Li’s account begins with the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where online rumors circulated that Beyoncé would perform on the final night, when Harris delivered her acceptance speech.
“Beyoncé will perform on the final night of the convention! Just kidding — that was just a lie to pack the stadium for Kamala’s acceptance speech,” Li wrote, according to the excerpt.
Li alleged that the campaign “willfully” allowed the rumor to grow and that younger voters in particular felt misled when Beyoncé did not appear. Her account characterizes the fallout as damaging to Harris’ standing with voters the campaign needed to energize.
Houston Appearance, But No Performance
Li also criticized the campaign’s handling of a Houston rally on Oct. 25, where Beyoncé did appear but did not perform. Instead, the singer gave brief remarks introducing Harris.
In Li’s telling, that distinction mattered. She wrote that the campaign again “dangled Beyoncé” and then disappointed attendees who had expected music rather than a speech.
The source report cites social media posts from the time claiming some people in the crowd were upset that Beyoncé did not perform. Those crowd reactions were not independently verified in the supplied material.
Final Rally Celebrity Speculation
Li further alleged that Harris’ final rally before Election Day relied on speculation that Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny might appear. Instead, Katy Perry performed at the pre-election event.
Li wrote that the campaign “dangled Taylor, Beyoncé, and Bad Bunny” to lure thousands of people to the rally, arguing that online speculation had already done its work by the time Perry appeared.
The allegations come from Li’s forthcoming book and excerpts reported by other outlets. The supplied material does not include a response from Harris, her campaign, the DNC or the celebrities named.
