Paramore's Hayley Williams Responds to Criticism She Read from 'Script' While Denouncing Donald Trump at Show

Mar. 15, 2025

Hayley Williams of Paramore performs onstage during the iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 20, 2024 in Las Vegas.Photo:Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

On Sunday, Sept. 22, theParamorebandleader, 35, shared an Instagram Story where a user accused her of “reading a script” and asked if she was “paid or blackmailed” for taking aim at Trump on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Las Vegas music event.

“whoever you are, i typed out my speech and had a crew member hold it near the camera for me in case i got nervous bc what i had to say was important and i didn’t want to trip up in the moment. didn’t end up looking at it though… that’s because i prepared,” Williams said of .

Hayley Williams/Instagram

Williams didn’t hold back her feelings about the Republican presidential candidate running againstKamala Harrisduring Paramore’s performance on Friday.

“Do you want to live in a dictatorship?” the “Decode” artist asked the crowd. “Well, show up and vote.”

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Williams has not shied away from sharing her political beliefs in the past.

Last year, the “Misery Business” singershared a statement on Instagramcalling out two anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting drag performers and gender-affirming care.

“Drag is not a crime. Gender-affirming health care for all, including our youth, is a necessity,” she wrote, perTeen Vogue. “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends & family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them.”

source: people.com