Fact check: Did Coca-Cola stop working with Taylor Swift because of her support for Kamala Harris?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Taylor Swift found herself at the center of a bizarre rumor mill after the pop sensation endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris following the vice presidential debate with her Republican rival Donald Trump earlier this month.

While there was nothing wrong with the support, the situation quickly spiraled out of control when false claims began circulating about her partnership with Coca-Cola. Rumors suggested that the beverage giant had ended its long-term relationship with Swift because of her political views. But in the end, it was a cleverly staged satire that confused the internet.

Taylor Swift’s support for Kamala Harris caused a stir

Taylor Swift took to Instagram to show her support for Kamala Harris following her heated debate with former President Donald Trump.

“I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election,” Swift wrote in the caption, adding, “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a fighter to represent her.”

Swift listed the causes she cares about – particularly LGBTQ rights and women’s reproductive freedom – and called Harris a “quiet, gifted leader” and “warrior.”

The “Fortnight” singer also addressed some of the misinformation circulating – particularly some fake, artificial intelligence-generated images Trump posted online suggesting Swift supported him.

“It really revived my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she said. “It made me realize that as a voter, I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election. The easiest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

Swift captioned the post, “Childless cat lady,” a playful dig at Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who had used the phrase to disparage Democratic politicians without children.

Satire causes chaos

You might think that Taylor Swift’s endorsement would be the hot topic of the week, but that changed when a post from the SpaceX Fan Club Facebook page sent social media into a frenzy with a rumor.

On Sunday, September 15, the fan page uploaded a post with the headline “Coca-Cola ends long-term partnership with Taylor Swift: ‘We do not support her endorsement.'”

And then the internet went crazy. People were quick to speculate and wonder if Swift’s political views had cost her a big corporate deal.

But here’s the catch – the post was completely satirical! The SpaceX Fan Club’s bio even states: “We publish SATIRICALLY, nothing on this site is real.”

Apparently some people didn’t get the humor, so the page had to clarify that the post was a joke by adding the note “This is a satirical post.”

While the SpaceX fan club’s post sparked some conversation, it wasn’t the only satirical jab. An online article by Esspots took the rumor even further, claiming that Coca-Cola ended its partnership with Taylor Swift because of her political support.

The article stated: “The once harmonious relationship between America’s favorite soft drink and America’s darling is now gone…”

However, just like the SpaceX Fan Club post, this article should be taken with a grain of salt. In fact, Espots is known for its satirical content. The “About Us” page clearly states that the team is committed to “bringing you the latest and greatest fake news and absurdities, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.”

Still, people began to question whether Coca-Cola had actually cut ties with Swift because of her political leanings. After all, Swift had been associated with the company since 2013 and served as Diet Coke’s figurehead for several years.

According to a January 2013 press release from the Hollywood Reporter, Swift would be “integrated into all of the brand’s key marketing efforts – including advertising, retail activation, experiential creation and more.” The partnership was a big deal at the time, and Swift even announced it herself on her YouTube channel.

The true story behind Taylor Swift’s Coca-Cola partnership

So what’s the truth behind all the noise? Despite the speculation and satire, there is no evidence that Coca-Cola ended its partnership with Taylor Swift because of her support for Kamala Harris.

In fact, the partnership was mostly active between 2013 and 2019. During that time, Swift was probably the biggest face of the brand – especially for Diet Coke.

However, the relationship between Swift and the beverage giant has been relatively quiet in recent years.

Some reports suggest that the partnership cooled after Coca-Cola was accused of donating money to political candidates who supported the criminalization of abortion, which conflicts with Swift’s vocal advocacy for women’s reproductive rights.

Nevertheless, the verdict is clear: the satirical posts about Swift’s support of Kamala Harris and the alleged disputes with Coca-Cola have been thoroughly debunked.