Oprah Winfrey has addressed rumors that she was paid $1 million to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, specifically for hosting a high-profile town hall event in September.
When approached by a TMZ reporter in Santa Barbara, Oprah firmly denied the claim, stating, “Not true. I was paid nothing. Ever.”
The media mogul also made it clear that she wasn’t interested in discussing the outcome of the election, saying, “I’m not talking about the election.”
Earlier reports from the Washington Examiner suggested that Winfrey’s Harpo Productions had received $1 million from the Harris campaign on October 15 following the town hall.
The Harris campaign, which spent a total of $1.2 billion on the race, reportedly allocated substantial funds for various events and promotions. For instance, Harris’s campaign also spent six figures to create a custom set for her appearance on the popular podcast Call Her Daddy.
The Harris campaign and its affiliated PACs raised over $2.3 billion, with a combined $3.5 billion spent on the race, marking it as the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history. By comparison, Trump’s campaign raised $1.8 billion, though the exact breakdown of spending remains unclear.
In addition to major event production costs, the Harris campaign spent over $654 million from July to Election Day, with significant funds directed toward boosting her online presence through social media influencers.