Olivia Rodrigo sports Amy Acton campaign shirt during Ohio concert

Olivia Rodrigo appeared on stage at Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center on October 29 wearing a white "Amy Acton for Governor" T-shirt during the final three songs of her Unraveled Tour. The singer encouraged the audience to vote earlier in the show, according to an attendee’s account, but did not make a formal campaign statement.

The shirt placed Acton's name in front of thousands of concertgoers as the Ohio governor’s race intensifies over Acton's childhood abuse allegations. Acton, a former state health director, is running against Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently released a one-minute television ad featuring his estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing Acton of lying about her past. The ad did not mention Acton's claim that she was sexually abused by her mother's husband at age 12, a claim supported by court records cited by news outlets.

Ramaswamy defended the advertisement, saying it addressed alleged falsehoods rather than the abuse allegations. He noted the ad had completed its run and that his campaign had aired additional ads. Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine called for the ad’s removal, while Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, criticized the campaign for using the abuse claim as a political talking point.

Acton has publicly described a childhood marked by abuse, instability and homelessness, stating she was removed from her mother’s care at 12 after alleging sexual abuse by her stepfather, Cledith Arthur. The stepfather was indicted, fled the state, and died in 2004. Acton has not seen her mother since 1978.

Rodrigo’s brief display of the campaign shirt does not resolve the factual disputes at the center of the race, but it links a high-profile entertainer to Acton's candidacy as Ohio voters approach the election.