Michelle Obama is setting the record straight about her personal life and newfound independence, addressing recent rumors surrounding her marriage to former President Barack Obama. In a revealing conversation on the Work in Progress podcast hosted by Sophia Bush, the former first lady candidly discussed how stepping into a new phase of life has led to public speculation, especially about her relationship.
Now 61, Michelle opened up about life after the White House and what it means to finally prioritize her own needs and desires. “It is whatever I want, Sophia, it’s whatever I want,” she said. “It’s the first time in my life all of my choices are for me.”
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Michelle reflected on how, for years, her decisions were shaped by her roles as a mother and the First Lady. “I have to make sure the girls are okay, or my husband’s president, so I can’t do that,” she explained, highlighting how her responsibilities always came before her personal preferences.
“Now, you know, I can’t blame my decisions and indecisions on anyone other than me,” she added. “I think if I’m honest with myself, I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago. But I didn’t give myself that freedom.”
However, Michelle acknowledged that her self-focused choices have sparked rumors, especially regarding her marriage. “That’s the thing that we as women struggle with — disappointing people,” she said, as reported by People magazine.
She pointed out the assumptions made by the public: “I mean, so much so that this year people 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. “We start actually going, what am I? What am I doing? What 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.”
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Marriage rumors were fueled further last year when Barack Obama was jokingly linked to actress Jennifer Aniston, who brushed off the speculation on Jimmy Kimmel Live! saying, “I was not mad at it,” and added, “I know Michelle more than him.”
Speculation also intensified when Michelle was absent from Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration. Some outlets, including RadarOnline, even claimed a divorce was imminent. However, Michelle and Barack put the rumors to rest in February by sharing Valentine’s Day selfies on X, reaffirming their bond and silencing speculation with a simple message of love.
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