RFK Jr. backs out of his own birthday fundraiser gala after Martin Sheen, Mike Tyson said they're not attending

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is backing out of his own birthday fundraiser gala after celebrity guests Martin Sheen, Dionne Warwick, Mike Tyson and Andrea Bocelli, who were reported to be attending, instead stated that they would skip it.

The gala is hosted by the super PAC American Values 2024, which backs Kennedy's presidential candidacy, and another PAC.

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Kennedy press secretary Stefanie Spear confirmed to CBS News that the independent candidate will not be attending the birthday event. This was first reported by U.S. News & World Report.

In late December, American Values 2024 shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, a Daily Mail story reporting the fundraiser event to celebrate Kennedy's 70th birthday and listed the four celebrities as guests. 

Warwick was the first to respond on X, denying she was going and calling the PAC's announcement "absolutely ridiculous."

Soon afterward, Martin Sheen, who played the president on the TV series "The West Wing," took to Instagram.

"I do not endorse RFK Jr. nor will I be attending his party," Sheen said. He added that he's "whole heartedly supporting Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket in 2024."

Since Sheen doesn't have an X account, Bradley Whitford, who played the White House deputy chief of staff on the TV show, tweeted on Sheen's behalf. 

"There's a story going around saying that Martin Sheen is supporting @RobertFKennedyJr for president. The story is incorrect," Whitford said on X. 

The Kennedy campaign previously told CBS News it didn't have "anything to do with organizing this event." 

A representative for Andrea Bocelli told Rolling Stone that the Italian tenor is not singing at the gala. Page Six reported that a representative of the former boxer said Mike Tyson was the only star who admitted he had been invited — but he, too, declined the invitation. 

In:
• Mike Tyson
• RFK Jr.
• Dionne Warwick

Cristina Corujo

Cristina Corujo is a digital journalist covering politics at CBS News. Cristina previously worked at ABC News Digital producing video content and writing stories for its website. Her work can also be found in the Washington Post, NBC and NY1.