Michelle Obama Addresses Divorce Rumors After Months of Speculation

The Former First Lady's reaction to the split gossip comes after she missed several high-profile events earlier this year. However, she explained why in a recent interview.

Michelle Obama set the record straight about her marriage during an appearance on Sophia Bush's iHeart Radio podcast "Work in Progress" on April 8, 2025.

According to the attorney, she has gained newfound independence since her two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, are now adults and have left home. She used to avoid making decisions and used them and her husband Barack Obama being president, as an excuse.

After leaving the White House, she now wants to embrace making her own decisions and own up to them. In early 2025, the family woman skipped former President Jimmy Carter's funeral and President Donald Trump's inauguration. Only her husband attended both events.

Michelle's absence sparked divorce rumors. Around the same time, reports revealed that she was on an extended break in Hawaii when the funeral was held and avoided attending the swearing-in to avoid making fake pleasantries.

When speaking on turning down key invitations, the 61-year-old mother of two said the interesting part is that people say, "I get it, and I'm OK." She acknowledged that women struggle with disappointing people, adding:

"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."

"This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself, right? But that's what society does to us," she continued. Michelle explained that results in women questioning themselves and if what they do doesn't fit expectations, it gets labeled negatively.

Aside from explaining her choices, her husband has also talked about their marriage lately. During a conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper, the politician shared that he was in a "deep deficit" with his longtime wife.

Barack added that he has been trying to change that by participating in occasional fun activities. One of the couple's shared hobbies is watching TV. He and Michelle wed in 1992 and have been married for 32 years.