Oprah Winfrey is setting the record straight on her involvement with Kamala Harris ' presidential campaign. The former talk show host denied rumors that she was paid a $1 million personal fee to appear alongside the vice president—who lost the 2024 election to Donald Trump —at the Sept. 19 Unite for America live-streaming event in Detroit.
"Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don't stop a lie, it just gets bigger," she wrote on Instagram Nov. 11 . "I was not paid a dime.
My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign." While Winfrey said her Harpo Productions company was asked to supply the set—including lights, cameras, microphones and chairs—for filming, she "did not take any personal fee" for her appearance. "However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid.
And were," the 70-year-old added. "End of story." Harpo Productions also confirmed Winfrey's story, with a spokesperson telling Variety that the Harris campaign only "paid for the production costs of Unite for America.
" "Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee," the rep continued, "nor did she receive a fee from Harpo." Winfrey was a vocal champion of Harris in the months leading up to Election Day Nov. 5.
In addition to the Unite for America event, she delivered a 15-minute speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August, as well as appeared at Harris' final campaign rally earlier thi.
