Pop icon Beyoncé has allegedly threatened to pursue legal action regarding the use of her song “Freedom” in a campaign video by the Donald Trump campaign.
On Tuesday, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, shared a brief video on his X account showing Trump disembarking from his aircraft, accompanied by Beyoncé’s song. However, a source close to Beyoncé reportedly informed Rolling Stone that the artist promptly reached out to the Trump campaign, indicating her intention to file a lawsuit.
Cheung subsequently removed the video featuring the song late on Wednesday. Neither Beyoncé nor the Trump campaign has issued any public comments concerning the incident.
This situation marks yet another instance of an artist threatening legal action against Trump for the unauthorized use of their music. This month, the family of the late singer Isaac Hayes has requested that Donald Trump’s campaign cease the use of his 1996 song, “Hold On, I’m Coming,” originally performed by the duo Sam & Dave.
Additionally, Canadian singer Celine Dion criticized the Trump campaign for utilizing her song, “My Heart Will Go On,” without authorization during a rally in Montana.
In the previous 2020 campaign, the rock band The Rolling Stones also demanded that Trump refrain from using their music after their 1969 hit, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” was played at a rally in Tulsa.
Other artists, including the estate of Sinéad O’Connor, singer Pharrell Williams, and rocker Steven Tyler, have similarly threatened legal action regarding the unauthorized use of their music.
