More than 300 guests are attending the state dinner that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but outside of political luminaries, the guest list features few well-known names.
Perhaps the most notable name from the entertainment world is longtime film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is attending with his wife Marylin. Mr. Katzenberg is best known for his tenure as the chairman of Walt Disney Studios.
Other names from sports and entertainment include actor John Leguizamo and his wife Justine Leguizamo, and Australian singer/songwriter the Kid Laori.
Several well-known Hollywood Australians were absent from the guest list, including Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Chris and Liam Hemsworth, and Paul Hogan. It is unclear whether they were not invited or declined the invitation.
Chris Ashton, a retired English rugby player, is perhaps the most well-known athlete on the list.
The bigger names on the guest all come from the world of politics, including Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Other names include Reps. Pete Aguilar, California Democrat, and Michael McCaul, Texas Republican.
From the Senate, guests include Republicans John Thune of South Dakota and James Risch of Idaho along with Democrats Ben Cardin of Maryland and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Members of the Biden family on the guest list include three of the president’s seven grandchildren — Finnegan Biden, Maisy Biden and Naomi Biden. The president’s sister, Valerie Owens, also appears on the guest list.
Mr. Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who appeared at the June state dinner honoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, did not appear on the guest list.
Other guests include members of Mr. Biden’s Cabinet, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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