From Robert De Niro to Spielberg, via George Clooney and Julia Roberts, many Hollywood A-listers are lending their star power to politics. But can these celebrity supporters determine votes? And could Taylor Swift's Biden endorsement change things? When Robert De Niro showed up outside a Manhattan courthouse to decry Donald Trump as his New York hush money trial was winding down, it sparked a life-imitates-art screaming match with a nearby group of the former president's supporters. “You are gangsters!” shouted De Niro, who starred in and won an Oscar for .
The Trump backers responded with obscenities. De Niro seems to have taken on an increasingly prominent role in Biden's campaign. Before his confrontation with the Trump supporters, the actor held a press conference calling the former president a “clown.
" This has cost him though, as De Niro was stripped of a prestigious leadership award after his fiery speech. Indeed, the actor was due to attend the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation’s Celebration of Service to America Awards, where he was expected to receive their highest honour - the 2024 Service of Leadership Award in recognition of his charitable work and public service. However, his invite was rescinded, as De Niro’s "recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize," stated the organisation.
Celebrities lending their star power to politics is nothing new, but the up.
