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Prolific music producer Pharrell Williams said in a new interview that he is “annoyed” by famous endorsements in the wake of celebrities taking a stance on the election.
“I don’t do politics. In fact, I get annoyed sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you [who to vote for],” Williams said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Pop star Taylor Swift dominated headlines last week when she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has a host of other A-list supporters for her 2024 campaign.
Swift’s endorsement immediately followed the first debate between Harris and former President Trump.
Recording artist Pharrell Williams attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood Highland Center on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Williams responded to The Hollywood Reporter asking if he would allow presidential candidates to use his music in their campaigns.
“There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them,” he said. “I’m one of them people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.’”
“When people get out there and get self-righteous and they roll up their sleeves and s—, and they are out there walking around with a placard: ‘Shut up!’ So, no, I would rather stay out of the way, and obviously, I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote. I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I’m really about the action.”
Pharrell Williams performs in concert during the 2019 ESSENCE Festival at Louisiana Superdome on July 7, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Williams’ comments came after Trump’s political campaign was hit with lawsuits for copyright infringement from prominent entertainers.
TRUMP SAYS TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSING HARRIS WAS ‘JUST A QUESTION OF TIME’
Most recently, The White Stripes followed through with a threat of legal action after a Trump aide posted a video featuring one of the band’s songs. Last month, Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications, posted a video montage of Trump traveling to a rally with White Stripes song “Seven Nation Army” playing as he boarded the plane.
The band filed a copyright infringement lawsuit, accusing the campaign of “flagrant misappropriation” of its hit song.
The suit was filed last week in the Southern district of New York.
Pop star Taylor Swift dominated headlines last week when she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has a host of other A-list supporters for her 2024 campaign. (Getty Images)
Other musicians who opposed the Trump campaign for using their music include Isaac Hayes, Mick Jagger, Lorde, Sia, Blondie, Sheryl Crow, Green Day, Lionel Richie, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards, Steven Tyler and Rosanne Cash.
Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.
Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program.
Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.
