Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is excluding actress Cheryl Hines, who is married to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from a new HBO sketch comedy series celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. And according to SILive, Hines is really angry about it.
Obama, journalist Tom Wrobleski reports on SI Live, made it clear that she doesn't want Hines to have anything to do with "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America" — which Michelle Obama is producing with former President Barack Obama and stars comedian Larry David, well-known his work on the popular sitcom "Seinfeld" (which he created) and HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The show is marking
An insider on the program told the UK-based Daily Mail that Michelle Obama was adamant about excluding Hines, declaring, "We cannot and will not have that woman on this show. She is not one of us."
Wrobleski reports, "The ban stings hard because Hines played David's wife for a dozen years on the wildly successful HBO program 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' The insider said that Hollywood fears the clout of the Obamas and that Michelle Obama 'can be a b– – on wheels when she wants."
According to an insider, Hines, "felt terribly hurt and emotionally injured" by Michelle Obama's decision.
"Cheryl's dream was to work with Larry again and be part of the cast of the new show," the insider said. "She firmly believed that the staunch anti-Trumper could put aside his negative political views about MAGA and Kennedy. But banning Cheryl was a command from Michelle that Larry could not go against — even if he had wanted to, for old time's sake — and mend their past close ties."
The insider added, "He always respected her as an actress. But Michelle's the boss. And you don't cross the boss, especially a powerful anti-MAGA force like Michelle."
Like Michelle Obama, David is an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. The former first lady, however, is not disdainful of conservatives in general; she has often spoke highly of former President George W. Bush, making it clear that despite their political differences, she considers him a "delightful" man and really likes him as a person.
Although MAGA Republican and conspiracy theorist RFK Jr. is a member of the Kennedy family and a former Democrat — his father was Robert F. Kennedy Sr., and President John F. Kennedy was his uncle — he is drawing a great deal of criticism from Democrats because of his controversial views on medicine, including a strong opposition to time-tested vaccines.
