See Tom Hanks hug Pelosi, more celeb moments at Obama center opening
Kinsey Crowley- Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Stevie Wonder were a few big names at the Obama center opening ceremony.
- Former vice president Kamala Harris and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, were some politicians in the crowd.
- See them interact in this view from the ground.
There were 3,000 people on the plaza at the June 18 Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony, with almost too many celebrities to count.
A-listers in attendance included more than the performers like Marc Anthony and Stevie Wonder who brought the crowd to their feet during the program. Oprah Winfrey, who has a space named after her in the museum, was shaking hands with politicians like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau danced in the front row seats down from former Vice President Kamala Harris (though his partner Katy Perry was not in attendance).
John Legend and Jennifer Hudson spent time in the crowd when they weren't on stage, seated not far from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. But former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stayed on stage with the other living presidents, except for President Donald Trump.
See the celebrities and politicians alike mingling at the grand opening ceremony:
Watch: Celebrities and politicians party together at the Obama Presidential Center
Who was at the Obama grand opening ceremony?
Here are some celebrities who were spotted in the crowd:
- Oprah Winfrey
- Gayle King
- Billie Jean King
- George Lucas
- Steven Spielberg
- Tom Hanks
- Conan O'Brien
- Gabrielle Union
- Quinta Brunson
- LL Cool J
- Mark Hamill
- Jon Batiste
- Stephen Colbert
- Tyler Perry
Here were some politicians in attendance:
- Former Vice President Kamala Harris
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
- Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona
- Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.