HOUSTON (AP) - Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio have made their choice.
They are both voting for Kamala Harris -- but for different reasons.
At a Houston rally for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign recently, Beyoncé told the crowd, “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. 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.”
“Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she continued. “We must vote, and we need you.”
At the end, Beyoncé — who was joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland — introduced Harris with, “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, loud, Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”
She did not perform — unlike in 2016, when she performed at a presidential campaign rally for Hilary Clinton in Cleveland.
Houston is Beyoncé's hometown, and Harris’ presidential campaign has taken on Beyonce’s 2016 track “Freedom,” a cut from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” as its anthem.
Harris first used the song in July during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware. That same month, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, publicly endorsed Harris for president.
Beyoncé gave permission to Harris to use the song, a campaign official who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations confirmed to The Associated Press.
The Harris rally in Houston highlighted the perilous medical fallout from the state’s strict abortion ban and putting the blame squarely on Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, DiCaprio expressed support for the Democratic nominee in a video Friday.
“Climate change is killing the earth and ruining our economy, we need a bold step forward to save our economy, our planet and ourselves,” Leonardo said in the video posted to Instagram. “That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris.”
The Oscar-winning actor, long an outspoken advocate for addressing the climate crisis, has supported Democratic candidates in the past.
In early 2020, he attended a fundraiser for Joe Biden at the home of former Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing.
His Instagram caption cited the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, which he called “unnatural disasters caused by climate change.”
In the video, DiCaprio praised Harris’ ambitious targets for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and helping to build a green economy. He also noted her involvement in passing the Inflation Reduction Act. As vice president, Harris cast the tiebreaking vote on President Joe Biden’s landmark climate law that was approved with only Democratic support.
He also criticized Trump for withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord and rolling back “critical environmental protections.” Trump, he said, continues to “deny the facts” and “deny the science.”
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Harris has received the support of many high-profile entertainers including Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock and George Clooney.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s celebrity supporters include Elon Musk, Dennis Quaid, Roseanne Barr and Kid Rock.