Pharrell Williams is not a fan of celebrity political endorsements. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the multi-hyphenate star shared his more “humanitarian” perspective on politics and his opinions on the music and entertainment industries getting involved in elections.
“I’m more of a humanitarian. I like people trying to help people. Not sure I’ll ever vote far right. I won’t do that,” he said reportedly laughing. “But I don’t really do politics. Some policies I lean into; I think education is important. We have a nonprofit called YELLOW [whose mission is equity through education], and then there’s another 501(c)(3) that helps Black and brown entrepreneurs called Black Ambition — those are the things I lean into. I’m not an activist, but I believe in action.”
As thousands of men and women rally to support Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Williams revealed his mixed feelings on stars publicly endorsing political candidates. When asked if he would allow either party to feature his music in their campaigns, just as Beyoncé did for Harris, Williams said no, adding that he sometimes gets “annoyed” by celebrities’ involvement in politics.
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“I get annoyed sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you [who to vote for]. There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them. I’m one of them people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you,’” he explained. “When people get out there and get self-righteous and they roll up their sleeves and shit, and they are out there walking around with a placard: ‘Shut up!’”
In recent years, celebrity endorsements have become pivotal parts of political campaigns for both parties. Though Williams appears to have no plans to endorse anyone this election cycle, he did show public support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. Similarly, he sent former President Trump a cease-and-desist letter for using his song “Happy” during one of his rallies.
“Politics is not my field of expertise,” he said, during a Clinton rally in 2016. “But I’m a human. I’m a human being with a family, a human being that shares this Earth with other human beings. This election is just too important. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines and just be quiet.”
Social media users quickly called out Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director for his seemingly contradictory comments.
“Respectfully disagree, Pharrell. Informed voices can educate,” one user wrote on X.
“This is a privileged take lol,” another added.
Regardless of your opinion on celebrity political endorsements, Williams’ hot take reminds us how important it is to do research and fully understand the ballot before casting your vote.
