Social media was ablaze Thursday night when TMZ reported that the Queen herself, Beyoncé, would close out the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a performance.
The report, which claimed Beyoncé would appear before Vice President Kamala Harris spoke, was quickly picked up by other media outlets and the BeyHive, causing fans to wait anxiously for her arrival. Hours earlier, NBC Chicago reported that a White House political director, Emmy Ruiz, hinted at a Beyoncé performance by tweeting a simple bee emoji with no context.
Ultimately, Queen Bey did not show up. Longtime publicist Yvette Noel-Schure shut down the reports in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter shortly before Harris took the stage.
“Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there,” Noel-Schure said. “The report of a performance is untrue.”
Noel-Schure doubled down on her Instagram, posting a screenshot of the DNC broadcast with the caption: “At home watching and anticipating the VP’s historic speech. Focus on the win and register to vote. Do not report rumors. FOCUS.”
So how did the rumors begin? Fans began speculating last month when the Harris campaign was granted permission to use “Freedom,” a 2016 Beyoncé 2016 single. The track has since become a signature of the Harris-Walz campaign, with Harris walking out to the song in Wilmington, Del., at her first official appearance as a presidential candidate. “Freedom” also appeared in a new campaign ad that helped start the convention and the song was played as Harris ended her speech and exited the stage.
The Beyoncé rumors picked up steam Thursday afternoon when @Angry_Staffer, an anonymous verified X (Twitter) account with 603K followers, tweeted that there was a “big surprise” on the way. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but you don’t want to miss the DNC tonight,” the account wrote in a now-deleted tweet, according to the New York Daily News. “If you thought the Oprah surprise was big, just wait.”
The tweet ran rampant, leading to speculation, gossip and unconfirmed reports. Other verified accounts with blue checkmarks, now available for purchase from Elon Musk, tweeted about a “gap in tonight’s DNC schedule” for a “special guest.” Hours later, TMZ published its report confirming Beyonce’s alleged performance.
The @Angry_Staffer account acknowledged its role in the rumor mill late Thursday night, apologizing to fans for the confusion.
“Re: special guest rumor – I’m not sure where it started, but the people who told me aren’t prone to hyperbole. FWIW, Beyoncé was the rumor. Makes me feel a little better that Rueters, TMZ, The Hill, and other outlets also reported it, but either way – I apologize,” the account tweeted.
“I don’t like giving bad information, and that’s on me. Mea culpa. Even people at the DNC were hearing that Beyoncé was in the building, so whoever started the rumor got a whole bunch of us,” the tweet read. “Maybe it was a ratings ploy by the DNC, but I don’t think so – they had a hell of a lineup either way, and it was a fantastic performance.”
As for Beyoncé, she has yet to personally comment on the now retracted reports.