Beyoncé threatens to send cease-and-desist letter to Trump for using her song ‘Freedom’

Beyoncé has reportedly threatened to send a cease-and-desist letter to former US president Donald Trump after his campaign used her song ‘Freedom’ without permission, according to the Rolling Stone.

The controversy arose on August 20 when Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, shared a brief video on social media. The 13-second clip showed Trump deplaning in Michigan, all set to the anthem from Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade.

According to sources close to the artist, Trump’s campaign did not receive authorisation to use her song. Beyoncé’s team was swift in its response, voicing its disapproval and preparing to take legal action to prevent further misuse.

Trump’s campaign has since removed the video from X (formerly Twitter).

Beyonce’s ‘Freedom’ addresses themes of slavery and police brutality against people of colour. It was a particularly ironic choice for the Trump campaign, which has been widely criticised as racist.

This isn’t the first time the Trump campaign has found itself in hot water over unauthorised use of music. Just recently, the estate of late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Trump for the alleged unauthorised use of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ at Republican rallies.

The lawsuit claims Trump owes the estate $150,000 for each instance of unauthorised use, with over 100 instances cited.

Adding to the controversy, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, recently faced criticism from Celine Dion for playing her iconic song ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at a Montana rally. Dion’s management team and record label swiftly condemned the unauthorised use, mocking the irony of choosing a song from a movie about a sinking ship.

Back in 2016, British superstar Adele publicly objected to Trump’s use of her hit ‘Rolling in the Deep’ at his campaign events.