Hollywood and politics are two areas that in more normal times should never mix, and stars often avoid opening up about their political leanings – unless they’re running for president themselves, that is.
However, ahead of the heated showdown of the 2020 US presidential election, many more celebrities were very vocal about exactly who they would be voting for – Lil Wayne even posed for a photo with Donald Trump and sung his praises on Twitter.
So now the dust has settled and president-elect Joe Biden emerged with a convincing lead at the polls, let’s take a look back at which celebrities supported the incoming leader, and who voted for Trump?
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Ever since Trump blocked Twitter lover Chrissy Teigen on the platform, it has been clear who she and her husband John Legend would vote for. The model and singer have both shown their support for Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.
After Harris was announced as Biden’s pick for vice-president in August, Legend wrote on his Twitter account: “Very happy for our friend and Senator and future Vice-President, @KamalaHarris, and very much looking forward to voting for the Biden-Harris ticket to begin the difficult work of recovering from this nightmare presidency and building an even better future.”
Billie Eilish
The Bad Guy singer has been vocal in campaigning for young people to be proactive and vote in elections to better their communities and have their voices heard, and the US elections saw her working hard to convince her fans to vote.
Capitalising on her social media influence she launched an election initiative to encourage her 68.7 million Instagram followers to cast their votes. The 18-year-old singer did not influence her followers towards either candidate, however.
Taylor Swift
The Bad Blood singer openly endorsed Biden, making her reasons clear in an interview with V. Magazine in October.
She said: “The change we need most is to elect a president who recognises that people of colour deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included. I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election.”
Swift also shared her support with cute home-made cookies featuring the Biden/Harris logo, which she posted to Instagram the same month.
50 Cent
The rapper and actor recently endorsed Trump, even though he claims the current president “doesn’t like black people”.
The Candy Shop singer criticised Biden’s tax plan, which proposed to raise taxes for the wealthy, and tweeted: “I don’t want to be 20cent. 62 per cent is a very, very, bad idea. I don’t like it!”
Fiddy’s fans were divided by his political opinion, a fact only fired further when he also posted: “I don‘t care [if] Trump doesn’t like black people”.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
J. Lo officially showed her support for the Democratic candidate in a video call with Biden and his wife Jill. In the video, the singer and actress, and her fiancée Alex Rodriguez, spoke to the president-elect about topics which affect the Latino community, including racism and the disproportional effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.
J. Lo said: “For me, it’s unifying the nation again … Getting rid of this hate. Thinking about my kids walking around in a world where, you know, it’s OK to be racist or prejudiced because our administration says it’s OK. That to me is really sad.”
Meanwhile, her partner said: “We’re thrilled and we’re excited to vote. I think our voice has never been more important.”
Dwayne Johnson
In his first ever public presidential endorsement – and after having voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke out in support of Biden and Harris. He posted a seven minute video to Twitter explaining his decision, including a video chat with Biden and Harris.
He said: “You guys are both obviously experienced to lead. You’ve done great things.”
Johnson also praised Biden for his attitude and career. “I think you’ve led, in my opinion, with great compassion and heart and drive, but also with soul,” he said.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
Like many other stars, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel shared their support for Harris on social media.
When it was announced that Harris was to run for vice-president, the actress posted her support for the politician – who is now the first woman and person of colour to serve as vice-president – on Instagram: “What a historic moment for women of colour, little girls with big dreams, and mothers everywhere. We are cheering for you.”
Kid Rock
The Bawitdaba singer has revealed that he is a proud and dedicated Trump supporter. He accompanied Donald Trump Jr to a campaign event in his hometown of Michigan to show his support towards Trump’s re-election. He has even visited Trump at the White House and played golf with him in the past.
Hailey Bieber
Model Hailey Bieber shared her political opinions with her Instagram followers in October.
She posted a picture of herself wearing a blue T-shirt, which showed her support for the Biden-Harris ticket, and wrote: “It’s World Mental Health Day, and something that has affected my mental health is the state … and the future of our country. I have hope, but we need to collectively make the change we want for our future, and that means getting out there to VOTE!!!”
Hailey already indicated that she would vote for Biden and Harris before this post, but her father, Stephen Baldwin, remains a vocal Trump supporter.
Cardi B
In an interview with Elle, Cardi B made it clear that she wanted Trump out of the White House.
The rapper also told her social media followers that the most important thing for her would be to get the US under new leadership, and she urged the public to pay attention to the current situation.
She said: “It’s so sad that a pandemic had to happen so people could open their eyes and see what type of person they are dealing with.”
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
