Barack Obama turned 60 on 4 August. The former President of USA celebrated his birthday on Saturday at his family home - Martha’s Vineyard - Massachusetts with family and some friends. The Hawaii-themed party was also attended by celebrities, including couples Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and even Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. Other famous celebrities like Bradley Cooper, Stephen Spielberg, Don Cheadle and Erykah Badu were also present, E! News reported.
Erykah Badu posted a video of Obama dancing at the star-studded birthday bash on her Instagram story. The video went viral within hours. Musician H.E.R and rapper Trap Beckham were also present at the party, and posted photos on Instagram. However those pics, including Badu’s posts, were immediately taken down.
Trap Beckham's manager TJ shared a story on his Instagram handle, talking about Obama dancing. The manager can be heard saying, "Ya'll never seen Obama like this in your life. Nobody ever seen Obama like this. He was lit, too lit, oh my God." The manager also added, "Everything was amazing. Every part of it. The production, the sound, the lights, the staff, the food, the drinks. Epic, epic, man. Like this s**t is crazy."
Obama's birthday party was arranged keeping in mind all COVID protocols. With the Delta variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly, Obama had to shorten the guest list. Obama's spokesperson said in a statement last week:
"This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with COVID safeguards in place. Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the former president and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends. President Obama is appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon.
Based on a report by The New York Times, the guest list originally included 475 people. Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly attended the party. Although Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay were invited, they reportedly decided not to attend due to COVID concerns. Talk show hosts David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and others, along with former advisor to Obama – David Axelrod - were reportedly removed from the guest list owing to the pandemic.
The guests were dressed in Hawaiian shirts and given "fresh flower leis". As per reports, the menu comprised Hawaiian food like spam as well as egg rolls among other delicacies.
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