A-List Celebrities Snubbing UFC Freedom 250

Several high-profile celebrities invited to UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 have no plans to attend, adding to a pattern of public figures declining invitations to Trump-linked events.

Adam Sandler, Dwayne Johnson, Jared Leto, and Mario Lopez were among those invited to the White House card. Representatives for all four, along with a person close to Johnson, told Vanity Fair that none of them intend to show up.

The celebrity snubs arrive in the wake of a separate blow to the administration's anniversary celebrations. Last month, several musicians withdrew from performances at the Great American State Fair after learning the event was sponsored by Freedom 250. The pattern of high-profile figures declining association with Trump-linked occasions is now extending to the UFC card itself.

Trump holds 1,000 tickets to distribute personally, with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly helping handpick allies to attend. White and TKO CEO Ari Emanuel have 200 tickets each, with the remainder going to members of the military.

For those outside the South Lawn, a free watch party at The Ellipse is being set up for tens of thousands of fans, giving the event a broader public footprint than the 4,500-seat capacity on the White House grounds alone would suggest.

“The event is a real draw for folks looking to curry favor in Trump’s Washington and for DC’s MAGA crowd, which has delighted in the construction of a giant light fixture called 'The Claw' that now towers above the White House. But there is one group that may well steer clear of the event: major celebrities,” Aidan McLaughlin (Vanity Fair)