Fact Check: Beyonce did not announce ‘red states’ boycott after Trump win
Fact Check: Beyonce did not announce ‘red states’ boycott after Trump win
Beyonce is due to perform in her home state of Texas in December, contrary to a narrative shared widely on social media that the singer will no longer play in “red states” after Republican Donald Trump’s presidential election win.
President-elect Trump won Texas by 56.2% in the Nov. 5 election, making it a “red” state.
There are no credible news reports of an announcement or remarks by Beyonce, who endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris on Oct. 25 at a rally in Houston, about avoiding states won by the Republican party. No such comments appear on her social media account, website or her company Parkwood Entertainment’s social media.
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Netflix said in a statement on Nov. 18 that Beyonce will perform, opens new tab in her hometown of Houston during two NFL games on Christmas Day. As of Nov. 25, Beyonce has not announced an upcoming tour.
Posts on social media platforms say, opens new tab, “Beyoncé Excludes Red States from Tour, ‘This Isn’t My America’” or, “Beyoncé Announces Red State Boycott, ‘I won’t perform in those states’,” with many linking to websites that repurpose material from other sites.
The headlines are similar an article published on Nov. 10 on the SpaceXMania website, opens new tab, which labels its content as fake news and satire, opens new tab around topics related to Space X owner Elon Musk.
Reuters previously addressed a similar narrative about Taylor Swift originating on a satirical website that was shared after the election. Swift endorsed Harris on Sept. 11.
Representatives for Beyonce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
VERDICT
False. The posts stem from a headline on the satirical website SpaceXMania. There is no evidence Beyonce announced a red-state boycott. She is due to perform in Texas in December.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
