Luckily, for Lindsay Lohan both the Indepedence Day weekend and her 25th birthday coincided with the end of her house arrest.
The troubled actress took full advantage of her newfound freedom to hang out with friends in the VIP area of LA's Paradise Cove Restaurant.
Other famous faces celebrating July 4 included Paris Hilton and David Beckham, who joined his LA Galaxy team mates at their party.
And, glowing with patriotic pride, the Obamas appeared on the White House balcony .
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Barack and Michelle hosted a barbecue on their South Lawn for members of the Armed Services and their families.
Meanwhile, Carmen Electra also got out her tongs, and dressed in the red, white and blue of the Stars and Stripes.
This year's Independence Day celebrations were some of the biggest the nation has ever seen.
Crowds, hundreds of thousands strong, packed themselves into the streets of New York, Boston and San Francisco for grand firework displays.
