John C. Mcginley Once Sent Olivia Rodrigo Away from His Birthday Barbecue, Before She Became a Star

John C. McGinley wanted an adults-only birthday barbecue, so when Olivia Rodrigo and Charlotte Lawrence climbed over his fence to join it, the Scrubs actor sent them away. Zach Braff says McGinley had no idea who Rodrigo was, and her career took off about a month later.

At The Steven Spielberg Theater on the Universal Lot, John C. McGinley appeared for HBO’s Emmy FYC event in Los Angeles on April 26, 2026. Photo by Phillip Faraone / Getty Images.

Braff recalled the encounter on Netflix’s Shut Up Evan. Charlotte, a singer and actress, is the daughter of Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, who’s one of Braff’s best friends. Braff said she’s like a niece to him and that he’d met Rodrigo through her before Rodrigo became a star.

McGinley had told Braff he wanted the adults there without the kids. Braff said McGinley’s definition of kids extended to pretty much anyone under 30, but Charlotte and Rodrigo tried their luck anyway. They climbed over the fence and asked to join the barbecue.

Olivia Rodrigo and Zach Braff, two figures at the center of the McGinley birthday barbecue story. Photo by Phillip Faraone / Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images.

Once they were inside, McGinley’s response was: “All right, you kids, get out!” Then his daughter came in and recognized Rodrigo in the living room.

Braff recalled her asking, “What? What are you doing in my house?” He said she could barely speak.

“Olivia was so sweet, and we all laughed about it,” Braff said. The girls left, and after Rodrigo’s career took off, he began sending McGinley pictures of her performing in arenas with a reminder: “This is the young woman you kicked out of your home!”

Thank you for reading Thought Catalog. You can follow us on Facebook here. Or check out our website.