Michelle Obama addresses the rumours she and Barack are getting divorced on Sophia Bush’s Work in Progress podcast

Michelle Obama has addressed the rumours about her marriage which have been gaining traction over the past few months.

Speculation of an incoming divorce started when former US President Barack Obama attended multiple key events solo, including President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on January 9 and Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

But Michelle, 61, explained her absences are simply a matter of her making more considered choices when it comes to how she spends her time

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“The interesting thing is that when I say ‘no,’ for the most part, people are like, ‘I get it,’ and I’m OK,” Michelle said on the latest episode of Sophia Bush’s Work in Progress podcast.

“And that’s the thing that we as women struggle with, disappointing people.”

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“So much so that people, they 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 continued.

And in response to the rumours that she and Barack are headed for divorce, Michelle laughed.

The 63-year-old joking her absences couldn’t possibly be “a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself”.

“But that’s what society does to us. We actually finally start going, ‘What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?’ And if it doesn’t fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible,” she explained.

Michelle explained she felt it was “time to make some big girl decisions” in her life and “own it fully”.

“If not now, when? What am I waiting for?” she asked.

Michelle said she feels like now is the time to start doing things for herself, when she wants.

“So, 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!’ I can. And I’m trying to do that more and more,” she added.

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It also adds to the new chapter of their life, due to the fact she and Barack are now empty nesters.

Their daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, have both moved out of home.

Sasha and Malia Obama through the years

Malia graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2021 and began working as a writer in the film industry. Sasha graduated with a sociology degree from USC Dornsife College of Letters in May 2023.

Both live in Los Angeles. Michelle and Barack Obama are still based in Washington DC. Barack served as US President from 2009 until 2017.

Michelle said since her husband’s term as US President ended and her daughters moved out of home, she gets to “look at my calendar” and “chose to do what was best for me”.

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She is also working on projects that are meaningful to her, including her podcast IMO with brother Chris Robinson.

In the face of divorce rumours, Michelle and Barack Obama took to Instagram to post Valentine’s Day posts in which they declared their ongoing love for each other.

“If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, @BarackObama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey! ❤️” Michelle wrote alongside a photo of the couple.

Barack posted the same photo with the caption: “Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentine’s Day, @MichelleObama!”

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