The fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was highly anticipated — but not just because Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to speak and accept the party’s nomination for President.
It was also because of the rumor mill.
All day Thursday, rumors about special guest appearances swirled around the DNC, with many guessing that Taylor Swift would put on a surprise DNC performance.
But as the afternoon went on, the speculation shifted to a different megastar: Beyoncé.
Around 3:30 p.m., White House Policy Director Emmy Ruiz tweeted a bee emoji, which many read as a winking nod to the “Beyhive,” Beyoncé’s fans.
Thursday evening, TMZ reported that the singer was expected to perform at the convention. And later in the night, MSNBC’s Katie Phang said Beyoncé arrived at the United Center during the second hour of the convention’s final night.
As the speeches went on, the rumors fell flat.
The Washington Post later reported that there were no plans for a “surprise performance,” and The Hollywood Reporter quoted a representative of Beyoncé who said she “was never scheduled to be there.”
As Harris entered the stage for the final speech of the night, the Beyonce’s song “Freedom” played over the loud speakers. Following Harris’ address, thousands of balloons were dropped from the ceiling — but the singer never appeared.
By 11:38 p.m., TMZ had issued an apology on social media — using a quote from Queen Bey herself.
“To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down down … we got this one wrong.”
As the evening concluded, some on social media responded to the rumor rollercoaster.
Still, the night wasn’t without musical performances.
The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, performed the National Anthem at 8 p.m. Later in the evening, singer P!nk, who is set to perform at Soldier Field this weekend, performed her 2017 hit “What About Us.” The singer did have a surprise guest on stage, but it wasn’t Taylor Swift or Beyoncé — it was her 13-year-old daughter Willow Sage Hart.
Hart took several lines on her own during the performance, winning emphatic applause from the audience in a moving performance.
The performance was P!nk’s first at a DNC, though the singer has been known for supporting Democratic and liberal causes in recent years.
As for Hart, the 13-year-old is no stranger to singing or performing with her mother, already reaching the Billboard charts and previously taking the stage with her mother at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.