Barack Obama showcased his best dance moves at a star-studded bash to celebrate his 60th birthday.
On Saturday, Aug. 7, the former U.S. president celebrated his 60th birthday at a Hawaii-themed, star-studded party on the grounds of his family's lavish home in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
An eyewitness told E! News that famous guests included Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend, fellow couple Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, Bradley Cooper, Stephen Spielberg, Don Cheadle and Erykah Badu. Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson were also invited and are believed to have attended.
Erykah shared on her Instagram Story videos from the party, including a now-viral clip of Obama dancing onstage with a guest, as seen on MailOnline, before they were removed. Musician H.E.R. and rapper Trap Beckham, who also performed, and manager TJ Chapman also posted images from the event on social media. They too were deleted.
Trap performed his track "Birthday Bitch" at the bash, which TJ called "the party of all parties." In a video posted on his Instagram Story, TJ said Obama "danced the whole song."
"Ya'll never seen Obama like this in your life," he added. "Nobody ever seen Obama like this. He was lit, too lit, oh my God."
The party, planned by KG events, took place outside as coronavirus pandemic precautions were implemented. Guests wore Hawaiian shirts and were given fresh flower leis, the eyewitness said. There were several tents, tables, lounge furniture, a big dance floor and a large stage, as well as face masks, baseball caps, napkins and signs stenciled with a "44x60" logo.
"Everything was amazing. Every part of it. The production, the sound, the lights, the staff, the food, the drinks," TJ said in an Instagram Story video. "Epic, epic, man. Like this s--t is crazy."
The menu featured Hawaiian food like spam, as well as egg rolls, the eyewitness told E! News. In addition, Trap shared on his Instagram Story photos of plates piled with steak, chicken, shrimp, salad, orzo, pieces of watermelon and a brownie, as well as a bottle of Hennessy.
The dancing and live music continued throughout the evening until the party began winding down around 1 a.m., after which a long shuttle of guest cars left at the same time, the eyewitness told E! News.
The party was originally supposed to be larger.
"This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with COVID safeguards in place," Obama's spokesperson told E! News last week. "Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the 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."
In addition, guests had to submit negative COVID-19 test results to a medical "coronavirus coordinator" to gain entry to the compound, The New York Times reported.
The outlet said the guest list originally included 475 people, adding that after cuts were made, it still included Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Two sources familiar with the party planning told The New York Times that Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay were invited but pulled out of the party earlier because of concerns over the Delta variant.
Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David and talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, as well as former top Obama advisor David Axelrod were all cut from the guest list, the newspaper reported. The latter told The New York Times, "They've been concerned about the virus from the beginning, asking invited guests if they had been vaccinated, requesting that they get a test proximate to the event. But when this was planned, the situation was quite different. So they responded to the changing circumstances."