Former first girl Michelle Obama is setting the document straight about her marriage to Barack Obama.
Partially two of her dialog with Sophia Bush on the “Work in Progress” podcast, Michelle Obama addressed divorce rumors which have circulated about her and the previous president after he had attended a number of occasions solo earlier this yr.
Whereas speaking about making her personal selections this yr, she talked about how making decisions for herself hasn’t at all times been acquired positively by others.
On this Aug. 20, 2024, file picture, former President Barack Obama and former First Woman Michelle Obama seem on stage in between their addresses on the second night time of the Democratic Nationwide Conference on the United Heart in Chicago.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photos, FILE
“The attention-grabbing factor is that after I say ‘no,’ for essentially the most half, individuals are like, ‘I get it’ and I am OK,” Michelle Obama started. “That is the factor that we, as girls, I believe we battle with disappointing folks, you understand?”
She continued, “A lot in order that this yr folks had been — they could not even fathom that I used to be making a alternative for myself, that they needed to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
“This could not be a grown girl simply making a set of choices for herself, proper? However that is what society does to us. We begin really lastly going, ‘What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?'” she added. “And if it does not match into the type of stereotype of what folks suppose we must always do, then it will get labeled as one thing unfavorable and horrible.”
Elsewhere within the podcast, the previous first girl and bestselling creator stated, “I really feel prefer it’s time for me to make some large woman selections about my life and personal it absolutely.”

Michelle Obama speaks onstage throughout a recording of the “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” podcast throughout the 2025 SXSW Convention And Pageant at Austin Conference Heart, on March 13, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
Julia Beverly/WireImage by way of Getty Photos, FILE
“As a result of if not now, when? What am I ready for?” she stated. “As a result of look, the summers are — we’re in summer time countdown at 61 proper? It is not so tragic if one thing occurs to you and also you’re 80. So now’s the time for me to start out asking myself these laborious questions of who do I really wish to be day-after-day?”
In January, Barack Obama attended former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral with out his spouse. He additionally attended the inauguration of President Donald Trump solo that very same month.
On Valentine’s day in February, Barack Obama shared a candy picture with Michelle Obama and captioned the submit, “Thirty-two years collectively and you continue to take my breath away.”
MIchelle Obama shared the identical picture in her personal submit and wrote, “If there’s one individual I can at all times rely on, it is you, @BarackObama. You are my rock. All the time have been. All the time shall be.”
The couple have opened up about their romance a number of instances up to now.

On this Aug. 20, 2024, file picture, former President Barack Obama joins former First Woman Michelle Obama on the second day of the Democratic Nationwide Conference on the United Heart in Chicago.
Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Submit by way of Getty Photos, FILE
Barack Obama instructed Oprah.com that he met Michelle Obama in 1988 in Chicago, when she was a 25-year-old lawyer at a company legislation agency and he was a summer time affiliate ending legislation faculty.
In 2008, Michelle Obama instructed ABC News that her agency was behind their assembly.
“As a result of I went to Harvard and he went to Harvard, and the agency thought, ‘Oh, we’ll hook these two folks up,'” she stated. “So, you understand, there was just a little intrigue, however I need to say after a couple of month, Barack, a couple of month in, requested me out, and I assumed no manner. That is utterly cheesy.”
They tied the knot on Oct. 3, 1992, and share two daughters collectively: Malia Obama, 26, and Sasha Obama, 23.