Michelle Obama Fires Back at Divorce Hype

Turns out, not posting your husband on social media doesn’t mean you’re getting divorced. At least, not according to Michelle Obama.

On Thursday, June 26, the 61-year-old former First Lady addressed the viral rumors about her marriage to Barack Obama during an interview on NPR’s Wild Card podcast.

“The fact that people don’t see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumors of the end of our marriage,” she said. “It’s like, ‘OK, so we don’t Instagram every minute of our lives.’”

Michelle didn’t stop there.

“We are 60,” the Becoming author pointed out. “You are just not going to know what we’re doing every minute of the day, you know? And yes, I guess we’re famous, but we’re 60.”

Social media theories ramped up earlier this year after Michelle skipped major public events like President Donald Trump’s inauguration and Jimmy Carter’s state funeral — and after Barack was spotted courtside at a Los Angeles Clippers game without her in March. But she says those choices had nothing to do with drama and everything to do with reclaiming her time.

“One of the major decisions I made this year [was] to stay put and not attend funerals and inaugurations and all the things that I'm supposed to attend,” she explained. “Whatever the backlash was, I had to sit in it and own it. But I didn’t regret it.”

Instead of feeding the gossip, the mom of two said she’s focused on doing what feels right for her.

“It’s my life now,” she said, adding that she’s finally stepping into her own ambition after decades of prioritizing her family. “Now I can say that whatever I'm doing from this point on is about my ambition.”

Michelle shares two daughters with the former President: Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24.

Last year, the couple's oldest made headlines by dropping the "Obama" name in her film credits, choosing to be known professionally as Malia Ann. “It is very important for my kids to feel like they've earned what they are getting in the world,” Michelle said on Kate and Oliver Hudson's podcast Sibling Revelry in June. “They don't want people to assume that they don't work hard, that they're just naturally, just handed things.”

The Girls Opportunity Alliance founder added that while she and Barack, 63, gently reminded Malia the name change wouldn't exactly keep her anonymous, they respected the decision. “We were like, they’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,” she said. “But we respected the fact that she's trying to make her way.”