Amid divorce rumors, former first lady of the United States Michelle Obama reminded the public that she is focusing on being the best version of herself and will continue to make her own decisions about how she spends her time.
During an April 8 episode of Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast, Obama addressed idle speculations surrounding her and her husband Barack Obama’s marriage status. Whispers surrounding a divorce surfaced amid Michelle’s absence at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. However, for Michelle, it was nothing more than “a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself.” She explained that women struggle with disappointing people so much that people “couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” she told Bush.
The Obamas have been married for 32 years and raised two daughters, Sasha and Malia, who are adults now, which gives the former FLOTUS more time for herself post-White House duties. When asked what her social life looks like right now, she told Sophia, “It’s whatever I want. It’s me focusing on being the best me I can be.” These days, the questions she is asking herself are a little different. “Who do I truly want to be every day? Who do I want to have a lunch with? How long do I want to stay in a place? Do I want to travel? If a girlfriend calls and says let’s go here, I can say yes,” she said. “And I’m trying to do that more and more.”
Michelle says this is the first time in her life that all her choices are for herself. Since the Obamas exited the White House following an eight-year term, the couple has launched their production company Higher Ground Productions, and Michelle has ventured off into some of her own endeavors like her podcast, IMO, a project BLACK ENTERPRISE previously noted she recently embarked on with her older brother, Craig Robinson. She has also been busy as an author, releasing books like, “Becoming” and “The Light We Carry.” Her decision to step away from some of her political duties does not exclude the attorney’s commitments to her public speaking engagements and girls’ education initiatives.
Michelle and Barack have been “couple goals” since they entered the spotlight. However, they have also been open about the rough stages. In Barack’s memoir, A Promised Land, he got candid about how he sensed a subtle yet constant undercurrent of tension in Michelle despite her success. According to Hello Magazine, the politician recalled the days before their White House duties when his wife’s smile was “more constant” and their love “less encumbered.” In 2024, Michelle discussed how she and Barack handle tense disagreements. “It’s the choice to figure it out, not to quit when it gets hard,” she said during the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast.
Listen to the full episode of “Work in Progress: Michelle Obama: The Conversation Continues…” on Sophia Bush’s Apple Podcasts channel.
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