“I’m Not Divorcing Barack”: Michelle Obama Breaks Silence on Rumors

“I’m Not Divorcing Barack”: Michelle Obama Breaks Silence on Rumors

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has shut down widespread rumors of an impending divorce from her husband, former U.S. President Barack Obama, calling the speculation completely unfounded.

In a candid conversation on “Work in Progress,” a podcast hosted by actress Sophia Bush, Michelle addressed public assumptions surrounding her absence from key political events like President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration. According to her, these were personal choices—not signs of marital trouble.

“That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with: disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, 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 said.

“That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?” she continued.

“That’s what society does to us.”

Michelle spoke passionately about her personal evolution post-White House, emphasizing her commitment to independence, growth and self-empowerment. Now, she says, her choices are for herself—not shaped by her former role as First Lady or as a political spouse.

She noted the double standard in how society interprets female independence.

“We start actually, finally 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.”

Michelle went on to explain that she’s entering a new chapter of self-discovery:

“So you know, now is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of who do I truly want to be every day.”

That identity, she says, “looks like whatever I want it to look like.”

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Despite her shift toward personal priorities, Michelle affirmed she remains deeply engaged in public life.

“And I still find time to, you know, give speeches, to be out there in the world, to work on projects. I still care about girls’ education. We, you know, the library is opening a year from now.”

She concluded with a reflection on the boundaries she’s setting for herself:

“But the interesting thing is that when I say no, for the most part, people are like, I get it, and I’m OK, right?”