President Obama was spotted arriving alone at a swanky new restaurant in Washington before attending Trump’s second inauguration without his wife Michelle.
Obama, 63, was greeted with cheers and applause from onlookers on Saturday when he arrived at DC hotspot Osteria Mozza.
However, the grinning ex-president seemed unfazed by the absence of his wife of 32 years, who also unceremoniously skipped President Carter’s funeral – amid rumors of divorce.
Indeed, Michelle’s no-show at both events comes as a wild wave of speculation in Hollywood and DC about a blockbuster affair between the charismatic former Commander in Chief and Friends star Jennifer Aniston.
Aniston, 55, was first romantically linked to Obama last year in a story published in a budget supermarket magazine – the front cover of which said it contained ‘the truth about Jen & Barack’.
This was exacerbated by the hosts of a popular pop culture podcast – Who? Weekly — who claimed, without providing any evidence, that the Obamas were “living separate lives” while he and Aniston were having a full-blown affair.
Despite appearing to be a dirty gossip, the iconic sitcom star appeared on late-night US television to deny the claims, giggling as she declared she was ‘not mad’ about the story.
This comes after reports that Michelle skipped Trump’s inauguration because she refuses to be ‘fake’ about her hatred of Trump – without mentioning Carter’s funeral, but critics have suggested that her and Barack’s wedding will instead take place on the cliffs.
President Barack Obama was spotted alone at a swanky new restaurant in DC the night before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration

Obama seemed very happy as he attended a dinner at the restaurant with a small group of Washington insiders

It comes amid wild rumors of an affair between the ex-president and beloved Friends actress Jennifer Aniston, pictured with Michelle Obama in 2007.

Jimmy Kimmel presented the Hollywood actress with the magazine that made allegations about her and the former president
Footage obtained by MailOnline shows Obama arriving on Saturday evening at Osteria Mozza, an ‘Italian Italian’ restaurant that opened in November last year.
Obama seemed very happy when he attended a dinner at the restaurant with a small group of Washington insiders, including the president Joe BidenJeff Zients’ chief of staff.
One of those sources said Obama — who served two terms in the White House before handing the Oval Office to Trump — was “very nice” but “didn’t take pictures with people.”
The restaurant, launched by Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr and Californian chef Nancy Silverton, has quickly become a huge success, with A-listers including Taylor Swift and her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce having dined there.
Michelle, 61, has also previously eaten at the chic restaurant, where main courses cost between $34 and $175.
According to Page Six, she hosted a holiday dinner for 10 people for her team in November, just two weeks after the restaurant opened in Washington DC’s Georgetown neighborhood.
A source was told the restaurant staff even told the former first lady that she was the first person to book a private room, to which she reportedly replied, “Well. let us baptize it.”

He joined a small group of Washington insiders at Osteria Mozza for a private meeting

Footage obtained by MailOnline shows Obama arriving Saturday evening at the dinner party at Osteria Mozza, an “Italian Italian” restaurant in Georgetown, DC

But Obama, pictured at the restaurant, showed no signs of stress over the absence of his wife of 32 years, who declined to attend the inauguration after unceremoniously skipping President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
In recent weeks, Michelle skipped Carter’s memorial service due to a reported ‘scheduling conflict’ and declined to attend Trump’s inauguration
“She has always been very conscious about where and how she appears,” an insider told Page Six. ‘She reluctantly showed up for the election. They were united, but she doesn’t need to unite around (Trump). Her absence speaks volumes.”
But Michelle’s absence has still fueled rumors that she is “tired of the political circus and pretending everything is fine with Barack all the time,” an insider said.
“I’m told she was furious when she saw her husband arguing with Trump at Carter’s funeral,” the source added.
A source who worked with the couple also admitted, “They’re not pretending to be in a Camelot relationship. They don’t try to show that they are a magical couple.’
Critics have speculated that the couple is splitting, but Obama tried to quash those rumors by posting a powerful tribute to his wife, who he described as the “love of his life.”
However, some suspect that the post may have been an attempt to spread rumors that the relationship is in a rocky state.

Barack Obama tried to dispel rumors that the couple’s relationship was on the rocks with a lavish tribute to his wife for her birthday

Michelle unceremoniously skipped President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on January 9. One of the most talked about moments from the commemoration was a clear moment of affection between Trump and Obama.
The Obamas have faced affair rumors since they first entered the spotlight in the early 2000s — with their marriage closely scrutinized during the former president’s two terms in office and beyond.
In 2013, the National Enquirer speculated that their then two-decade marriage had dissolved after a series of arguments sparked by accusations of infidelity and a beaming selfie President Obama took with the Danish prime minister.
Photos of Barack taking the selfie with Helle Thorning-Schmidt – as Michelle looked on, looking less than impressed – took the internet by storm, with claims the Obamas even switched seats to separate the two world leaders.
Late last year, he was romantically linked to actress Jennifer Aniston in an unsubstantiated story published in a tabloid – the front page of which said it contained “the truth about Jen & Barack.”
This was exacerbated by the hosts of a popular pop culture podcast – Who? Weekly – who claimed without evidence that the couple were ‘living separate lives’ while he and Aniston were having a full-blown affair.
The Hollywood A-lister strongly denied the claims during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October.

Photos of Barack taking the selfie with Helle Thorning-Schmidt – as Michelle looks on, looking less than impressed – took the internet by storm in 2013
“All the calls you get from your publicist, you just think, ‘Oh no, what’s it going to be?’ or you get an email saying that some cheap tabloid is going to make up a story – and then that’s it…’
“I wasn’t mad about it,” she added with a giggle, before clarifying that the story is “absolutely not true.”
“So the truth about Jen and Barack is that there is no truth?” Kimmel confirmed.
Aniston continued, “I met him (Obama) once. I know Michelle better than he does.’
In a joking tone, the host then asked, “Is there any truth about you and Michelle?”
“That’s not true,” she said, smiling.
In 2007, a star-studded Hollywood gala honoring the then-rising young senator reportedly marked the first (and only time) Aniston met Barack Obama.
Photos taken at the event show her smiling with her arm around Michelle’s waist as the future First Lady beams at the camera and Morgan Freeman and other A-listers enjoy the party behind them.
A VIP group of attendees – those who had at least twenty tickets to their names – were invited to dine privately with the Obamas after the event. It is unclear whether Aniston was among them.

The former president and his wife were married on October 3, 1992 at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago

When they first had children, the couple had a bit of an argument because Barack made a six-hour commute to work in the Illinois Senate, and was sometimes away for days because of his job.
The Obamas have previously spoken candidly about their martial struggles, with Michelle previously describing the “resentment” she had for having to pause her career to become a mother while Barack’s continued to flourish.
Tensions only increased during their time in the White House – thanks to the enormous “pressure” that came with “the need to do everything right and be ‘on’ at all times”, and thanks to Barack’s focus on his work instead of his family.
But even at their worst, Obama explained to The Breakfast Club that they never let their arguments get too ugly — and that they always “respected” each other.
And he made it clear that even if they argued, he never considered divorce.
“We were quite good, even when it was difficult, we never lost the basic respect for the other,” he said. “We never thought that person was a bad person. We’ve never said anything that makes it seem like you don’t respect me at all.
“It was more, ‘I love you, Barack, but this is driving me crazy,’ or, ‘I respect you, but…’ I think that held us back because we never doubted each other’s intentions.”
‘Michelle is a special woman. Even though she drives me crazy sometimes, I never thought there was anyone I’d rather be with.”