After months of speculation about the state of their marriage, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have finally broken their silence and they did it with humour and honesty. On a new episode of Michelle’s podcast In My Opinion (IMO), which she co-hosts with her brother Craig Robinson, the former First Lady invited a very special guest: her husband and former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Michelle Obama, Barack Obama React To Divorce Rumours
The episode, released Wednesday, marked the first time the Obamas publicly responded to the internet-fueled rumors suggesting they had quietly separated. Michelle kicked things off by joking that Barack had carved out time from his “very important schedule” to join the show. Craig jumped in with a laugh: “Wait, you two actually still like each other?” Michelle, smiled and responded, “Oh yeah, the rumor mill,” poking fun at the chatter that’s followed their every move in recent months. Barack leaned into the joke: “She took me back! It was touch and go for a while,” he said with a grin.
The divorce rumours had intensified earlier this year, when Michelle was noticeably absent from several major public events, including former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Social media theories spiraled further when people bizarrely linked Barack to Friends star Jennifer Aniston. (For the record, neither of the Obamas addressed that angle.)
At one point, Craig recalled being approached by a woman during a recent visit to Kansas who was eager to know whether the breakup rumors were true. That gave Michelle the opening to clear the air. “There hasn’t been a single moment where I seriously considered walking away,” she said. “Of course we’ve had our tough seasons, but we’ve also had a lot of fun. A lot of laughs, a lot of learning, and a lot of growing together.”
She added that her relationship with Barack has helped her evolve as a person. “I am who I am today in large part because of the man I married.” Barack, clearly touched, kept things light: “Don’t make me cry on your podcast,” he joked.