Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey has denied being paid the sum of $1 million to take sides with Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election won by Donald Trump.
The Washington Examiner had reported that Harris paid Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million on October 15 after Oprah hosted a town hall event for Harris in September.
Oprah also appeared at Harris’ final rally before Election Day where she called on people to vote “for healing over hate”.
“I was paid nothing — ever,” Winfrey told a TMZ reporter who approached her as she walked to her car.
#OprahWinfrey is shutting down claims she was paid $1 million to host a town hall on behalf of #KamalaHarris‘ presidential campaign … with the talk show legend declaring it’s all BS. 😱 Full article in bio!
📷: BACKGRID pic.twitter.com/RcSKFbkVXj
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 11, 2024
Meanwhile, her company, Harpo Productions, had earlier denied that Winfrey was “paid a personal fee”. The company, however, confirmed receiving payment for an event done for Harris.
“The campaign paid for the production costs of ‘Unite for America,’ a live-streaming event that took place Sept. 19 outside Detroit, Mich.,” a Harpo spokesperson said in a statement to Variety.
“Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” the statement added.
Harpo did not disclose the cost of its production work for the virtual town hall which featured a lineup of big-name celebrities.