In a surprising turn of events, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has decided to withdraw from his own birthday fundraiser gala after several celebrity guests, including Martin Sheen, Dionne Warwick, Mike Tyson, and Andrea Bocelli, notified the organizers that they would not be attending.

The gala, which is hosted by the super PAC American Values 2024, serves as a platform to support Kennedy's presidential candidacy, along with another PAC. However, Kennedy's press secretary, Stefanie Spear, confirmed to CBS News that the independent candidate will not be present at the event.

The news of the cancellation was first reported by U.S. News & World Report, shedding light on the sudden change of plans. This development came after American Values 2024 shared a Daily Mail article on X (formerly known as Twitter) in late December, announcing the fundraiser event to commemorate Kennedy's 70th birthday. The post also mentioned the four aforementioned celebrities as guests.

Following the announcement, Martin Sheen, renowned for his role as the president on the TV series "The West Wing," took to Instagram to clarify his stance. "I do not endorse RFK Jr. nor will I be attending his party," Sheen stated. He further expressed his support for Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket in 2024. Unable to address the situation on X directly, Bradley Whitford, who played the White House deputy chief of staff in the show, posted a tweet on Sheen's behalf, dispelling the misleading reports. "There's a story going around saying that Martin Sheen is supporting @RobertFKennedyJr for president. The story is incorrect," Whitford clarified.

While the Kennedy campaign previously distanced itself from the fundraiser, stating they had no involvement in its organization, it seems that this lack of endorsement from the celebrity guests has further clouded the event. A representative for Andrea Bocelli told Rolling Stone that the acclaimed Italian tenor will not be performing at the gala. Additionally, Page Six reported that Mike Tyson's representative confirmed that he had received an invitation but declined to attend, making him the only star who admitted being invited to the event.

The reasons behind the celebrity guests' decision to skip the gala remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, this unexpected turn of events has cast a shadow over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s birthday fundraiser gala, leaving it without its primary guest of honor and several high-profile attendees.