Hollywood Donors Drop Dembargo as Celebrities Back Harris

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood's embargo on political donations has ended, as key fundraisers and celebrities including rapper Cardi B, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis and television producer Shonda Rhimes have endorsed Kamala Harris as the next Democratic presidential candidate.

Relief and excitement spread across Los Angeles, the film and television capital of the world and a major source of Democratic campaign funds, after President Joe Biden decided to end his re-election campaign on Sunday.

“Lost” producer Damon Lindelof said he has ended what he called a “dembargo,” a call for Hollywood donors to stop giving money to Democrats after Biden’s disastrous debate performance in June.

Lindelof, writing on Instagram, said he felt “deep relief, gratitude…and then, for the first time, real EXCITEMENT for the upcoming election” after Biden withdrew.

“Suffice to say that the DEMBARGO is lifted. And there you have it. We. GOOOOOOOOOOO!” Lindelof added.

Hollywood is often described as the “Democrats’ ATM.” In June, a fundraiser hosted by actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts raised more than $30 million, which the Biden campaign said was the largest Democratic fundraiser in history.

But after Biden's faltering performance in the June 27 presidential debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump, Clooney and others publicly called on the president to end his campaign. A representative for Clooney did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Lindelof has not endorsed any particular Democratic candidate, but others in Hollywood have thrown their support behind Harris.

“We are all for Kamala Harris! We started working for her the moment she announced her candidacy,” Andy Spahn, a Hollywood Democratic fundraiser and president of the consulting firm Gonring, Lin, Spahn, said via email.

'I am with her'

Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who had called for Biden to step down, told CNBC she was resuming her donations to Democrats and thought Harris would be a great candidate.

“I’m with her,” wrote actor Bradley Whitford, who played a fictional White House staffer on the X-rated TV series “The West Wing,” alongside a photo of himself with his arm around Harris.

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

Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst and co-host of the podcast “Inside Golden State Politics,” said she expects Harris to receive significant financial support from Hollywood. One reason is that her husband, former entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff, “is very well-liked and respected” in the industry.

“The floodgates will open,” she said.

Several black women in Hollywood have endorsed Harris, who would be the first black woman to become president of the United States if she wins November's presidential election.

Rhimes, the creator of “Grey's Anatomy” and “Scandal,” posted a photo of herself next to Harris and offered her support.

“I supported her in 2016 when she ran for Senate, I supported her when she ran for Vice President, and I continue to support her today,” Rhimes wrote on Instagram.

“The Woman King” actress Viola Davis quoted on Instagram the 1977 Harvard commencement speech given by Barbara Jordan, a black civil rights activist and Democratic politician.

“What people want is simple. They want an America that lives up to its promise,” Davis wrote alongside a photo of Biden and Harris walking together and laughing.

“I’m with her!” Davis added with a black fist emoji and blue hearts.

“Abbott Elementary” actress Sheryl Lee Ralph posted a photo of herself alongside Harris. “When she wins, we win!” Ralph wrote.

Black women are a key part of Harris' most dedicated supporters, known collectively as the KHive, Bebitch Jeffe said.

“Black women are the most loyal Democratic constituency right now,” she said. “And women are just excited.”

Tina Knowles, mother of superstar singer Beyoncé, expressed her enthusiasm for Harris' career, calling it “new, young and vibrant.”

“You asked for it and our President Biden did what was best for the country! He put aside his ego, his power and his celebrity,” Knowles wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself with Harris.

Rapper Cardi B noted that she called for a Harris candidacy in June after Biden's debate debacle.

“AHAHAHAHA HERE WE GO I TOLD YOU KAMALA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE 2024 CANDIDATE,” the musician wrote on X.