Clooney, Hollywood line up behind Harris as celebrity endorsements and cash pour in

Hollywood Democrats have opened a floodgate of donations to Vice President Kamala Harris as her presidential campaign picks up steam with a string of celebrity endorsements.

Actor George Clooney, a Democratic fundraiser who had called on President Biden to step aside from the 2024 campaign in a July 10 op-ed in The New York Times, threw his support to Harris on Tuesday morning after Biden dropped out over the weekend. 

‘President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again. We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest,’ Clooney said in a statement to CNN’s Jake Tapper.

‘Lost’ producer Damon Lindelof said Monday his call for a so-called ‘Dembargo’ on Hollywood donations to Democrats had been lifted since Biden passed the torch. 

In an Instagram post, Lindelof said he felt ‘profound relief, gratitude… and then, for the first time, genuine EXCITEMENT for the election ahead’ after Biden’s decision.  

‘Suffice to say, the DEMBARGO is lifted. And here. We. GOOOOOOOOOOO!’ Lindelof added.

With Biden out of the race, Hollywood heavyweights, including rapper Cardi B, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, TV producer Shonda Rhimes and others, offered glowing endorsements of Harris. 

‘We are all in for Kamala Harris! Started to work on her behalf the moment she announced,’ Andy Spahn, a Democratic fundraiser in Hollywood and president of consulting firm Gonring, Lin, Spahn, told Reuters.

The vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee made her first official visit to her campaign headquarters on Monday evening, walking out to Beyoncé’s song ‘Freedom.’ CNN reported that Harris’ team got approval from Beyoncé’s representatives to use the song.

A June fundraiser hosted by Clooney and actress Julia Roberts raised more than $30 million in what the Biden campaign said was the largest Democratic fundraiser in history.

However, after Biden’s halting performance at the June 27 presidential debate against Republican candidate former President Trump, Clooney and others publicly called for the president to end his campaign. 

Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who had said ‘Democrats will lose’ with Biden atop the ticket, told CNBC that Harris would be an excellent candidate and said she has resumed her donations to Democrats.

‘I’m with her,’ actor Bradley Whitford posted on X. Whitford played a fictional White House staffer on ‘The West Wing.’ 

Curtis, who won an Oscar for her performance in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once,’ said she supported Biden’s decision to endorse Harris. Singer Barbra Streisand said Harris ‘will continue Joe Biden’s work and will be a great president.’

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Scandal’ creator Rhimes posted a photo of her standing with Harris and offered her endorsement.

‘I stood behind her in 2016 when she ran for Senate, I was behind her when she ran as [vice president] and I continue to stand behind her today,’ Rhimes wrote on Instagram.

Still more celebrities gave their endorsements, including ‘The Woman King’ actress Viola Davis, ‘Abbott Elementary’ actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles. 

Cardi B proudly proclaimed that she had called for Harris to replace Biden shortly after the June 27 presidential debate. 

‘AHAHAHAHA LETS GOOOOO I TOLD YALLL KAMALA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE 2024 candidate,’ the musician wrote on X.

Reuters contributed to this report.