‘People assume Barack and I are divorcing’: Michelle Obama shuts down rumours of marital strain | World News

Michelle Obama is setting the record straight. In a candid conversation on a new episode of American actor Sophia Bush’s ‘Work in Progress’ podcast released Tuesday, former US First Lady Michelle Obama addressed swirling divorce rumours, adjusting to life post-White House, and public speculation about her marriage.
Now eight years removed from political life and with two adult daughters, the former First Lady said she is learning to prioritise herself in a way she once struggled to do. “I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago,” she told host Sophia Bush, “but I didn’t give myself that freedom. Maybe even as much as I let my kids live their own lives, I used their lives as an excuse for why I couldn’t do something.”
Addressing the rumours directly, the Becoming author acknowledged the tension women often feel when setting boundaries: “We struggle with disappointing people. So much so that this year, people couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself—they had to assume my husband and I are divorcing.”
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Choosing herself
She described a moment of serendipity while reviewing her schedule. “I looked at my calendar—something I was supposed to do—and I made a choice for myself,” she said. “Not what I had to do, not what I thought others wanted me to do, but what was best for me.”
Her absences from high-profile political events—including President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter—has prompted public speculation with some observers taking it as a sign of trouble in her marriage.

Despite stepping away from certain responsibilities, she emphasised that she remains active in public life. “I still give speeches, I’m still out there in the world, working on projects. I still care about girls’ education. The Obama Presidential Library is opening next year—there are things I am doing, and things I’m not.”
What Barack Obama said
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, had previously offered his own reflections during a recent appearance at Hamilton College. In a conversation with President Steven Tepper, he admitted that the presidency had taken a toll on their relationship. “I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” Mr. Obama said. “So I’ve been trying to dig myself out of that hole occasionally doing fun things.” He echoed similar sentiments in a 2023 CBS interview, noting it “sure helps to be out of the White House.”Story continues below this ad
Together since the late 1980s, the Obamas have long been open about the challenges of balancing marriage and public life.
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