Michelle Obama addresses rumours amid divorce speculation with Barack Obama

Michelle Obama has shared how she combats rumours that plague her as a public persona.

The former first lady spent eight years in the White House at the side of her husband, former US President Barack Obama. Since their exit in 2017 eight years ago, the family has remained prominent public figures.

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But a side effect of this fame is dealing with negativity, with the 61-year-old addressing rumours and sharing her tips on how to deal with them.

At the South By South West festival in Austin, Texas, the mother of two hosted a live taping of her new podcast IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, having paired up with her older brother for the new venture.

She told the crowd, ”People always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years that we were in the White House, but beyond?

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“Because, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way – a lot of rumours, a lot of gossip, a lot of, you know, my husband wasn’t born in this country … we weren’t patriotic, he didn’t get into Harvard.”

She shared what worked for her, saying “What kept us sane – and we tried to instill this in our daughters – is, you cannot live through social media,” she explained. “I don’t think I have ever once looked at a comment section, period.”

Michelle added a pointed message: “Don’t let that negative energy enter into your space. These are people who don’t know you. A lot of this stuff is made up, and it does not feed you.”

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Her words come as social media sleuths speculate about the status of Michelle and Barack’s relationship.

The rumours began after the former president was seen attending many important events, such as Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Trump’s inauguration without his wife by his side.

The pair seem to have subtly tried to dispel the rumours with Barack posting a birthday tribute to his wife, as well as a sweet Valentine’s Day message.

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