Michelle Obama breaks silence

Michelle Obama recently addressed persistent divorce rumors involving her and former President Barack Obama. Speaking with Sophia Bush on the Work in Progress podcast, Michelle reflected on how her priorities have shifted now that her daughters are grown and her husband is no longer president. She shared that for the first time, her decisions are solely for herself, without the need to consider her family’s schedules. Michelle emphasized how society often struggles with women choosing independence, which can lead to speculation like divorce rumors when a woman simply prioritizes herself.

She called out the assumption that her personal decisions must mean trouble in her marriage, highlighting society’s tendency to label women’s independence negatively. The rumors gained traction when Barack attended public events alone, such as Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Trump’s inauguration. Barack also spoke on their relationship at Hamilton College, joking he was in a “deep deficit” with Michelle and was working to make up for it. He previously acknowledged how stressful it was for Michelle raising their daughters under the spotlight of the presidency, and how he now values the extra time they have together post-White House.