Inside the Obamas’ final star-studded party: White House bash goes on until 4am with Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and SJP on the dance floor and chicken and waffles for breakfast

• Kelly Rowland, Wale and Nick Jonas, Paul McCartney among stars to arrive to White House party on Friday
• Jill Scott, Terrence J, La La Anthony and Jordin Sparks also posted photos and selfies as they arrived
• Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Tyler Perry were in attendance
• Beyonce and Jay Z, Bruce Springsteen, and Oprah Winfrey were invited to attend President Obama’s party 
• Chance the Rapper confirmed his attendance, writing: ‘Bout to fly 21 hours to DC to bid farewell to the greatest president in US history. God bless you @POTUS’
• Earlier Friday the First Lady gave final White House speech and Obama will give his farewell address Tuesday

Dozens of celebrities turned out to party until 4am at the White House in a farewell bash that saw the likes of Paul McCartney, Meryl Streep and SJP tear up the dancefloor. 

The strictly VIP guestlist were banned from recording inside the party where Barack and Michelle served chicken and waffles to weary partygoers in the early hours of Saturday morning.

But that didn’t stop A-list attendees from spilling the beans and their selfies to social media revealing how many of the Hollywood elite turned out to say goodbye to the beloved first family.

Pharrell and Solange were said to have performed at the event and President Obama was rumored to have dominated the dance floor with the likes of Robert De Niro, Common and Usher.

Solange, the sister of Beyonce, said that it was ‘truly the ultimate, ultimate honor.’

She continued: ‘We will miss your excellence, your grace, and the phenomenal legacy you have let us all share.’

The bash was well attended by artists, philanthropists, activists, and executives, many of whom made the trip to Washington D.C. just to saw their farewells.

Guests snacked on chicken and waffles until 4am while the likes of Bradley Cooper and Magic Johnson chatted beneath a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

The evening was likely bittersweet for the first family, with Donald Trump‘s inauguration less than two weeks away.

‘It’s something that they’ve done in the past and something I anticipate they’re going to do again tomorrow,’ White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday.

‘Over the years, the President and first lady have on occasion – not frequently, but on occasion – they’ve hosted parties at the White House for their friends,’ he continued.

‘And I anticipate this will be the last one that they have. They’ve got some packing to do.’

Many stars found the evening emotional as they faced the impending loss of Obama in the oval office.

Comedian and TV host Billy Eichner posted a touching tribute to the President in his Instagram post, after getting the opportunity to discuss Obama’s work with the LGBT community last night.

‘He told me it was one of the things he’s most proud of. I told him we will love and appreciate him forever. He told me there’s a lot of work we still need to do,’ Eichner said.

‘Setting aside for a moment the sadness and anger I feel about the next administration, this was one of the greatest moments and nights of my life.’

Rapper Wale and songstress Kelly Rowland were among the first to post photos on social media as they arrived at the White House Friday night to bid the Obamas farewell.

The pair posed with host and actor Terrence J, film producer Will Packer and TV personality La La Anthony before the doors opened at 8.30pm.

Singer Nick Jonas also showed off in a dark grey suit with a black turtle neck underneath.

Singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks gushed about bringing her father to the White House in a sweet Instagram post.

‘Getting to take my Dad to the White House…Priceless. Soooo excited! Cheers! *drops mic*,’ Sparks, 27, posted on social media with their selfie.

Jill Scott also posed for a photo as she made her way to the White House festivities.

 

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Meryl Streep, Al Sharpton, Tyler Perry, Chris Rock, David Letterman, Tom Hanks, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder were also in attendance.

Star Wars directors George Lucas and JJ Abrams arrived to the party as well shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Questlove, who deejayed the evening.

Writer Tom Healy posted a reflective paragraph on social media about his evening with the Obamas.

The Obamas also invited Beyonce and Jay Z, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, and Oprah Winfrey.

The party would have been a sad moment for both the President and his wife as well as many of the guests, who have given their open contempt for Donald Trump, will not likely head back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for at least four years.

And those hoping for a glimpse of Obama getting down in the Oval Office are out of luck as cell phones will be strictly prohibited and checked at the door.

The Washington Post reported that Samuel L Jackson and Gayle King were also among the guetes.

Chance the Rapper confirmed he would be in attendance when he tweeted Wednesday: ‘Bout to fly 21 hours to DC to bid farewell to the greatest president in US history. God bless you @POTUS.’

Obama and the First Lady have become incredibly close with the 23-year-old rapper, who hails from their hometown of Chicago.

The Obamas are believed to have footed the bill for the party themselves.

The soiree was one of his last as president. He is now preparing to head to Chicago where on Tuesday he will deliver his farewell address after two terms in office.

The party guests will no doubt stay far away when Trump is inaugurated on January 20, an event that has failed to draw any of the big names Obama did during his two ceremonies.

In 2013, Obama was sworn into office at a ceremony that featured Beyonce performing The Star Spangled Banner and Kelly Clarkson singing My Country ‘Tis of Thee.

Trump will have the incredibly talented but much lesser known teenage singer Jackie Evancho performing at his inauguration, and she is the lone name of note confirmed for the event.

Among those who attended the final White House party, none has been more vocal about their disdain for Trump’s policies and rhetoric than Springsteen.

The New Jersey rocker appeared on an episode of WTF With Marc Maron that was released on Tuesday, and during the hour-long podcast he spoke about his fears and concerns about the future of the country during and after a Trump presidency.

‘I’ve felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now,’ Springsteen said of Trump and the administration he has been building over the past month.

‘It’s as simple as the fear of, is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?’

Earlier on Friday, First Lady Michelle delivered her final speech in the East Room, where she hosted 50 school counselors and several stars at the 2017 School Counselor of the Year event.

She choked back tears while addressing the young people of the audience, saying: ‘Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.

‘Empower yourself with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of you boundless promise. Lead by example with hope; never fear.’

She also said that her time spent as the First Lady has been ‘the greatest honor’ of her life, and to her supporters, she hoped to have made them proud.

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