Michelle Obama may have left the White House years ago, but her influence in entertainment continues through Higher Ground, the production company she founded with former President Barack Obama. Now, a report from the U.K.’s Daily Mail claims that influence became the center of an off-screen controversy involving actress Cheryl Hines.
According to the Daily Mail, Hines was excluded from a new Higher Ground production starring comedian Larry David despite her long professional relationship with him. The publication, citing unnamed sources, reported that Michelle Obama opposed Hines’ involvement because of her marriage to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Neither Obama, Higher Ground, Larry David, nor Hines has publicly confirmed the report.
The project at the center of the story is Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America, a seven-part sketch comedy series that premiered on June 26. Created as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, the series reunites David with numerous collaborators from throughout his career.
Hines, who portrayed Larry David’s wife for all 12 seasons of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, is notably absent from the cast.
According to the Daily Mail, unnamed sources close to the production claimed that Michelle Obama insisted Hines not participate because of her association with Kennedy, who aligned himself with President Donald Trump before joining the administration.
The report alleges that Hines was deeply disappointed by the decision.
One unnamed source quoted by the newspaper claimed that Hines had hoped to work with David again after their years together on Curb Your Enthusiasm and believed their longstanding friendship would outweigh any political disagreements.
The same source further alleged that David was unable to reverse the decision even if he had wanted to because Higher Ground was producing the series.
Another unnamed source quoted by the Daily Mail claimed Michelle Obama rejected the idea of including Hines when members of the production team raised her name during casting discussions. Those remarks have not been independently verified.
The report also alleges that objections centered not on Hines’ acting ability but on her political associations through her marriage to Kennedy, who has become one of the most prominent members of President Trump’s Cabinet after leaving the Democratic Party.
Hines has publicly supported her husband during much of his political journey, including his presidential campaign and subsequent endorsement of Trump. While she has generally kept a lower political profile than Kennedy himself, her public appearances alongside him have made her a recognizable figure in recent political debates.
According to the Daily Mail, numerous other actors from Curb Your Enthusiasm appear in the new series, along with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, David’s longtime creative partner and co-creator of Seinfeld. Former President Barack Obama also reportedly makes an on-camera appearance.
The publication reported that it contacted Michelle Obama’s representatives for comment but had not received a response before publication.
Whether the reported dispute occurred as described remains unclear, as the central claims rely on anonymous sources and have not been publicly corroborated by those involved.
