US election: The celebrities backing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris

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2 months ago

November 1, 2024

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Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?

With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.

Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump‘s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.

According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.

As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Harris.

The Avengers

In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.

Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, Captain America star Chris Evans, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr all feature in the video, along with Don Cheadle and British star Paul Bettany.

Ruffalo cited climate change, education and women’s reproductive rights among the issues voters should consider.

“We’re back,” he captioned the post. “Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts.”

Taylor Swift

The pop mega star confirmed her support for Ms Harris in September, posting a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comments.

Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

In response, Mr Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price” for her comments.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.

However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”

In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.

He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.

He ended by saying the country needs to “close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”

Jennifer Lopez

The actress and singer spoke out during a Democratic rally in Las Vegas, criticising comments made during a Trump rally about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage”.

“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.

Lopez told supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.

Madonna

Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Harris.

Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”

Beyonce

Beyonce appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”

The star said she was not attending the event as a celebrity, but was there “as a mother”.

She added: “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”

Charli XCX

Earlier in the year, Ms Harris embraced the social media trend of a “brat summer”, inspired by British pop star Charli XCX‘s latest album, Brat.

It came after the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, wrote in a post on X: “kamala IS brat”.

She later told New York Magazine: “To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me… I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”

Brat has now been named word of the year by Collins, which said it inspired a lifestyle “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.

Bruce Springsteen

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.

Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.

“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.

Eminem

The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.

The former president joked he had “noticed my palms are sweaty” before rapping several lines from the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song Lose Yourself.

Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.

Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.

Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.

Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.

Elon Musk

The tech billionaire has donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid.

Musk previously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.

At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.

Hulk Hogan

The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.

He told “Trumpamaniacs” at Madison Square Garden that he had won heavyweight titles and body-slammed “giants” there, but the energy at the rally was “something like I’ve never felt”, and “the most powerful force in the universe”.

The retired wrestler, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, has shared several photographs of himself and Mr Trump on social media.

Mel Gibson

Hollywood star Mel Gibson will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.

According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”

He said voting for Mr Trump would be “a pretty good guess”, and reportedly added: “I know what it’ll be like if we let her in and that ain’t good. Miserable track record – appalling track record. No policies to speak of. And she’s got the IQ of a fence post.”

Dennis Quaid

The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.

“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?

“Are we gonna be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders?”

Jon Voight

Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.

In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”

Voight accused Hollywood peers supporting Ms Harris of “putting out videos trying to brainwash the American people to do the most dangerous vote ever”.

Jake Paul

YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul has also shared a video message endorsing Mr Trump.

He captioned the clip, “Who I’m supporting for president and why you should too…” but began by saying he had been “nervous, scared” to make it because of potential repercussions for his career.

Encouraging his followers to do their own research and not just listen to “your favourite pop star”, he said he had rescinded his right to vote after moving to Puerto Rico for his boxing career – but that he wanted to present his millions of followers “with proper facts, numbers and data to encourage them to vote in the proper direction to quite literally save America”.

Things “don’t feel right” in the US at the moment, he said, which shows “that we are more divided than ever”. He added: “What is the problem? Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy… then who is to blame?”

Kelsey Grammar

The Frasier star – who has reportedly spoken of his support for Mr Trump in the past – was asked about being a Republican in Hollywood in an interview with the New York Times in September.

“For me to be anything else would be a problem,” he replied. “I don’t go along with a lot of what is preached in Hollywood. I go along with what is preached in Christianity. I go along with do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

“And I believe in all people: I believe in their desires and their lives and their worth. I want to make shows about that. I don’t want to hate anybody.”

Kid Rock

The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.

In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.

He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.

Entertainment

BAFTA nominations 2025: Conclave, Emilia Perez and The Brutalist lead the race as shortlists revealed

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1 hour ago

January 15, 2025

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BAFTA nominations 2025: Conclave, Emilia Perez and The Brutalist lead the race as shortlists revealed

This year’s BAFTA nominations have been revealed, with papal thriller Conclave leading the race.

Starring Ralph Fiennes as a clergyman responsible for the selection of the next Pope, the film is up for 12 awards – including best film, best director, best actor, and best supporting actress for Isabella Rossellini.

Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez, which tells the story of a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes gender affirmation surgery, is another best film nominee and has 11 BAFTA nods in total – with star Karla Sofía Gascón up for best actress and co-stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez both in the running in the supporting actress category.

The Brutalist, an epic drama starring Adrien Brody as a Hungarian architect attempting to build a life in the US after the Second World War, has nine nominations – including best film and best actor, and supporting nods for co-stars Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones.

Elsewhere there are seven nominations each for Wicked, Anora, and Dune: Part Two, six for A Complete Unknown and Kneecap, and five for Nosferatu and The Substance.

In the performance categories, Gascon is up against Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Mikey Madison (Anora), Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun) and Demi Moore, whose performance in body horror The Substance won her a Golden Globe earlier this month.

Fiennes and Brody’s best actor competitors are Timothee Chalamet, for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, along with Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Hugh Grant (Heretic) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice).

Kieran Culkin, another recent Golden Globe winner, makes the best supporting actor shortlist once again for his performance in A Real Pain, alongside Pearce and Yura Borisov (Anora), Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing), Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice).

Ariana Grande, who stars as Glinda opposite Erivo’s Elphaba in Wicked, and Jamie Lee Curtis, for her performance in The Last Showgirl, make up the best supporting actress shortlist.

For 14 of the 24 acting nominees – including Culkin, Grande, Gascon, Gomez and Moore – it is their first BAFTA film nomination.

Erivo and Chalamet are both previous recipients of the rising star award, which is voted for by the public.

In the best director category, Conclave’s Edward Berger is in the running alongside Brady Corbet, for The Brutalist, Denis Villeneuve, for Dune: Part Two, Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez, Coralie Fargeat for The Substance, and Sean Baker for Anora.

Baker also has nominations for best original screenplay, casting and editing, making him the most nominated individual this year.

The BAFTAs also includes a category for outstanding British film, with Conclave also shortlisted here alongside films including Steve McQueen’s Blitz, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, and Irish-language film Kneecap – which stars the rap trio of the same name in a semi-autobiographical account of their rise to fame.

In total, there are 42 films up for awards, spanning a range of genres.

“The film industry has delivered in spades once again,” said BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip.

“The skills on display from creative and technical practitioners across the board are phenomenal,” added BAFTA chair Sara Putt.

Could this be the most competitive BAFTAs for years?

Katie Spencer

Arts and entertainment correspondent

What do you get if you bring several priests, a Mexican cartel leader and an architect together under one roof?

Not the world’s most niche fancy dress party, but 2025’s BAFTA film awards shortlist.

Jazz hands and jump scares are the order of the day. Horror is unusually well represented this year, with The Substance, Heretic and Nosferatu all receiving nods, while musicals are also dominating thanks to Emilia Perez, Wicked and, arguably, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Speaking of music, it’s very good news for Irish language rappers Kneecap, whose self-titled semi-true biopic is up for best British film and five other awards. It’s somewhat ironic given that while they rap about wanting Irish independence, the film qualifies as being British as they’re from Northern Ireland.

In the leading actress category, it’s all to play for as none of the nominees has ever won a BAFTA. Fans of ’90s nostalgia will be hoping the Demi-ssaince continues after Demi Moore’s Golden Globe win last month for her performance in body horror The Substance.

Hugh Grant, up for lead actor, last won that BAFTA back in 1995 for his breakthrough performance in Four Weddings And A Funeral. This time around, he’s in the running for a very different role, as a creepy killer in Heretic. He’s nominated alongside another ’90s winner – Ralph Fiennes, who last picked up a BAFTA for supporting actor in 1994.

The nominations this year really showcase a diverse range of genres – and with no clear frontrunners in some categories, could this be the most competitive BAFTAs we’ve seen in a while?

The nominees for this year’s rising star award, which is the only BAFTA prize voted for by the public, have already been announced, with Marisa Abela, Jharrel Jerome, David Jonsson, Mikey Madison and Nabhaan Rizwan in the running.

And Harry Potter star Warwick Davis has also been revealed as the recipient of this year’s BAFTA fellowship, the organisation’s highest honour, for his “trailblazing work” as an actor and for his charity supporting people with dwarfism.

The BAFTA nominations come at a difficult time for the industry, with the organisers of several US awards ceremonies, including the Oscars, pushing their own announcements back and holding more low-key events due to the wildfires in Los Angeles.

However, the Oscars ceremony is still currently scheduled to go ahead as planned on Sunday 2 March.

The BAFTA ceremony will be held at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday 16 February.

Entertainment

BAFTA nominations 2025: The full list of films and stars up for awards

Published

1 hour ago

January 15, 2025

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BAFTA nominations 2025: The full list of films and stars up for awards

There are 42 films up for awards at this year’s BAFTA ceremony, from blockbusters to indie breakthroughs.

Organisers have now revealed the shortlists, with papal thriller Conclave leading the nominations, followed closely by Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez, and post-war epic The Brutalist.

The star-studded BAFTA ceremony will take place in London on Sunday 16 February.

Here’s the full list of the stars and films up for each prize.

BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Perez

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Bird
Blitz
Conclave
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Hoard – Luna Carmoon (director/ writer)
Kneecap – Rich Peppiatt (director, writer)
Monkey Man – Dev Patel (director)
Santosh – Sandhya Suri (director, writer), James Bowsher (producer), Balthazar de Ganay (producer)
Sister Midnight – Karan Kandhari (director, writer)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Perez
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig

DOCUMENTARY
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

DIRECTOR
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet
Conclave – Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve
Emilia Perez – Jacques Audiard
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
Kneecap – Rich Peppiatt, Naoise O Caireallain, Liam Og O Hannaidh, JJ O Dochartaigh
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
A Complete Unknown – James Mangold and Jay Cocks
Conclave – Peter Straughan
Emilia Perez – Jacques Audiard
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield

LEADING ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon – Emilia Perez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Saoirse Ronan – The Outrun

LEADING ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Selena Gomez – Emilia Perez
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis – The Last Showgirl
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldana – Emilia Perez

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

CASTING
Anora – Sean Baker, Samantha Quan
The Apprentice – Stephanie Gorin, Carmen Cuba
A Complete Unknown – Yesi Ramirez
Conclave – Nina Gold, Martin Ware
Kneecap – Carla Stronge

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist – Lol Crawley
Conclave – Stephanie Fontaine
Dune: Part Two – Greig Fraser
Emilia Perez – Paul Guilhaume
Nosferatu – Jarin Blaschke

EDITING
Anora
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Kneecap

COSTUME DESIGN
Blitz
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked

MAKE-UP & HAIR
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

ORIGINAL SCORE
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Perez
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

SOUND
Blitz
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Wicked

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Adios
Mog’s Christmas
Wander To Wonder

BRITISH SHORT FILM
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Stomach Bug

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan

Entertainment

Neil Gaiman denies allegations of engaging in non-consensual sex

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1 hour ago

January 15, 2025

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Neil Gaiman denies allegations of engaging in non-consensual sex

Best-selling author of books for adults and children Neil Gaiman has denied allegations he engaged in non-consensual sex with several women.

A New York Magazine article detailed allegations of assault, abuse, and coercion levelled against the 64-year-old by eight women. A Tortoise Media podcast broadcast in July included allegations of four of these women.

Gaiman said in a statement that he had watched stories about him circulate online for months with “horror and dismay”.

“As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen,” Gaiman posted on the social media platform Tumblr.

“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”

The British author said he had reviewed messages exchanged with his accusers, and they read like “two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationships and wanting to see one another again,” he said.

“And I also realise, looking through them, years later, that I could have and should have done so much better. I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been. I was obviously careless with people’s hearts and feelings, and that’s something that I really, deeply regret,” Gaiman said.

Most of the allegations relate to occasions when Gaiman was in his 40s or older and living in the UK, the US and New Zealand.

Gaiman, who wrote the novel American Gods and The Sandman comic book series as well as the children’s fantasy book Coraline, has had several works turned into movies and television programmes in recent years.

The author’s agent and recent publisher Bloomsbury, as well as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix which have Gaiman-related projects scheduled for this year, have not commented on the allegations.