Beyoncé Issues Cease-And-Desist Following Donald Trump’s Use Of “Freedom”
Beyoncé has pursued legal action against Donald Trump over his unauthorized use of her song, “Freedom.”
On Tuesday (Aug. 20), Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, shared a video of him exiting an aircraft with “Freedom” playing as the audio. Not only is the song the official anthem for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Trump also had no permission from the veteran musician or her team to use the song in any way.
Rolling Stone confirmed that a cease-and-desist from Parkwood and Columbia Records had been issued.
At the time of press, the video was still up on Cheung’s Twitter/X profile.
On Monday (Aug. 19), the Harris/Walz campaign shared a new ad soundtracked by an a cappella version of “Freedom.” Actor Jeffrey Wright narrated, “What kind of America do we want? One where we’re divided, angry, depressed? C’mon! We’re Americans! Fascism? We conquered it. The Moon? Landed on it. The future? Building it. Freedom? Nobody loves it more and we fight for it.”
With Bey’s blessing, Harris has been using “Freedom” since launching her presidential campaign earlier this summer after President Joe Biden opted out of re-election. During her first public appearance after gaining Biden’s endorsement, Harris walked out as “Freedom” played and it wasn’t long before it soundtracked her campaign videos.
Trump, on the other hand, has been known to use music at rallies and in videos without obtaining permission from the artists. Many including Adele, Rihanna, Prince, Pharrell, Isaac Hayes’ estate, and more have publicly expressed their disdain, issued a cease-and-desist, or sued Trump over the infringement.
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