Who Will Attend Obama's 60th Birthday Party... Guest List Being Finalized Amid Delta Variant Spread

Former U.S. President Barack Obama [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunjin Jung] Amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, former U.S. President Barack Obama's 60th birthday party has been scaled down, with many celebrities reportedly excluded from the guest list.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 6th (local time), Obama's 60th birthday party will be held on the evening of the 7th on Martha's Vineyard, a luxury resort island in Massachusetts.

Originally, famous talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, as well as comedian Larry David who rented the party venue, were excluded from the guest list. Key aides, including political strategist David Axelrod, who served as a senior advisor at the White House during Obama's presidency, were also left off the list.

Pop star Beyonc? and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, are attending as originally planned. Film director and producer Steven Spielberg, singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and actor George Clooney reportedly remain on the guest list. The NYT reported that actor Tom Hanks, a longtime supporter of Obama, is still on the list but has been confirmed to be in Greece recently, so it is uncertain whether he will actually attend the party.

Obama initially planned a large-scale party with 475 attendees and 200 staff members, but scaled down the event significantly due to the rising spread of the Delta variant. President Joe Biden, who served as vice president during Obama's administration, will not attend, as the White House has already announced.

The NYT also reported that Obama's team required party attendees to present negative COVID-19 test results and hired healthcare professionals to enforce strict quarantine guidelines.