A new report has claimed that several celebrities have opted out of attending Donald Trump’s upcoming UFC fight at the White House. A-listers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have reportedly confirmed that they will not be present at the event.
Many celebrities reportedly back out from Donald Trump’s UFC fight event
UFC boss Dana White had said in an interview with Time magazine last month that he has invited several A-list celebrities to the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. The invitee list includes Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Mario Lopez.
However, a recent report by Vanity Fair claims, “Of that group, few, if any, will actually be there.” A source close to The Rock told that outlet that “he will not be attending.” Vanity Fair has also heard from representatives for Sandler, Leto, and Lopez, who have all said that they will not turn up at the event.
Additionally, a representative for Lopez had previously told HuffPost that the actor and television host will not make it due to “work commitments.”
According to Vanity Fair Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin, the reluctance of the stars to attend the event reflects “a growing trend in Trump’s second term.” He further noted that the 250th anniversary celebrations of the U.S. “are increasingly seen as tainted by the tawdriness, hyperpartisanship, and self-obsession that have been hallmarks of Trump’s political career.”
The UFC Freedom 250 event is scheduled to take place on June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House. UFC has organized the event as a part of the celebration for the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Most recently, the nonprofit organization Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service and Department of the Interior, seeking to stop the UFC Freedom 250 event. The lawsuit called the event “deeply corrupt,” arguing that the administration has broken multiple federal laws to organize it.
