Several major celebrities have declined invitations to a planned UFC event at the White House on June 14, despite the high-profile setting and guest list.
Dwayne Johnson, Adam Sandler, Jared Leto and Mario Lopez will not attend the event, which is scheduled to feature seven fights in a temporary arena seating about 4,300 people. Tom Brady, Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham also reportedly received invitations, though their attendance has not been specified.
Aidan McLaughlin of Vanity Fair described the dynamic around the card, saying, "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 added, "But there is one group that may well steer clear of the event: major celebrities."
UFC president Dana White has said that Donald Trump has 1,000 tickets for the event, White has 200 tickets and 200 tickets have gone to Ariel Emanuel. Around 85,000 people are expected to watch on big screens across the street.
