Michelle Obama Addresses Divorce Rumors After Recent Public Absences From Barack’s Side

Michelle Obama says that her marriage is fine and that at the big age of 61, she’s allowed to be an independent woman. Obama was responding to recent rumors that she and former president Barack Obama were getting a divorce. The internet chatter stemmed from the fact that the forever First Lady and her husband of 33 years haven’t been seen together in public much lately.

Barack Obama attended several basketball games, including Team USA’s exhibition game prior to the Olympics last summer, and has made other public appearances without his spouse. Michelle has also been solo at various events and appearances.

Obama drew some criticism for not accompanying her husband to former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral or attending President Trump‘s second inauguration. Her representative said that a “scheduling conflict” kept her from Carter’s ceremony but provided no explanation for not attending Trump’s swearing-in.

At the Democratic National Convention in August, which formally announced Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee, Obama said Trump engaged in fear-mongering when it came to the couple.

“Unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort [Harris’] truth,” Obama said. “My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this. For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.”

She added, “His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.”

The Obamas were last seen together in a photo celebrating Valentine’s Day in February, but they have not been seen together much since. However, it is believed that they still share their three residences—one in Chicago, one on Martha’s Vineyard, and one in Washington, D.C. However, as they are now private citizens, they are under no obligation to share the details of their personal lives.

Obama calls the rumors ridiculous. On a recent podcast, Work In Progress, hosted by Sophia Bush, she said she’s simply carving out a life for herself that no longer prioritizes her husband’s or kids’ needs. Instead, she says she’s able to do as she pleases more than ever before.

“I chose to do what’s best for me, not what I had to do,” she told Bush, adding that the public “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 for herself, right? But that is what society does to us.”

While she had little else to say about her husband or her marriage, she says that she is at the age and stage where she believes her choices should only reflect her desires.

“Now is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of, ‘Who do I truly want to be every day?’” she said. “And that changes.”

Obama started her own podcast IMO (In My Opinion) with her brother Craig. So far, it has explored non-political topics in favor of interpersonal ones, including caretaking and friendship. Guests have included empowerment guru Jay Shetty, actress Keke Palmer, and author/influencer Elaine Welteroth.

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