Barack Obama Makes Eye-Opening Confession About Marriage to Michelle
In a refreshingly honest moment, former President Barack Obama shared a rare insight into his relationship with Michelle Obama during a recent discussion.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” the 63-year-old former president admitted to Hamilton College President Steven Tepper during a Thursday conversation, as reported by the Daily Beast. “So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
Obama has previously acknowledged that his time in office, spanning from 2009 to 2017, put a strain on his relationship with the former first lady.
“Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her,” he said in an interview from May 2023, where he also commended Michelle for being “forgiving” when it came to the sacrifices they had to make.
Michelle has also spoken candidly about their marriage. In December 2022, she revealed that there was a long stretch of time when she “couldn’t stand” Barack — particularly during the years when their daughters, Malia (26) and Sasha (23), were young. She emphasized that she wasn’t “being catty by saying this.”
According to Michelle, “marriage isn’t 50/50 — ever, ever.”
“There are times I’m 70, he’s 30. There are times he’s 60, [I’m] 40. But guess what? Ten years — we’ve been married 30 — I would take 10 bad years over 30. It’s just how you look at it.”
In April 2023, she explained why she opens up so much about her relationship, noting that “marriage is hard, and many young people give up on it over challenges that are simply part of the commitment.” She added that the necessary compromises “ain’t always fun.”
Married since October 1992, the Obamas have recently faced a wave of divorce speculation, which intensified earlier this year when Barack began appearing solo at political events — including the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Sources close to the family, however, downplayed the rumors. One insider told Page Six that Michelle had simply become “checked out” of the D.C. scene.
Another former associate told the outlet, “They don’t pretend that they have this Camelot relationship. They’re not trying to present that they’re this magical couple.”
Michelle has also commented on how she handles negativity online. In March, she stated, “You cannot live through social media. Don’t let that negative energy enter into your space. These are people who don’t know you. A lot of this stuff is made up, and it does not feed you.” She also shared that she has never “once looked at a comment section.”
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama’s new podcast, “IMO,” co-hosted with her brother Craig Robinson, is gaining momentum. Since its March debut, it’s climbed to 34th on Spotify’s top podcast chart and is doing even better on Apple Podcasts, where it ranks 21st, according to Fox News.
Their podcast launched on March 12 with two initial episodes. As of this week, the first episode has racked up over 335,200 views, while the second episode — featuring Issa Rae — pulled in 194,258 views.
The March 19 episode welcomed guests Seth and Lauren Rogen, and has drawn 250,773 views on YouTube. Other featured guests included Keke Palmer, Dr. Laurie Santos, and Jay Shetty, a former Hindu monk.
According to Spotify’s latest data, the podcast currently holds the #4 spot in the Education category.
In their first episode, Michelle recalled how Barack had to make some behavioral changes when they got married — especially regarding punctuality.
“Well, Barack, you know, he had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was,” she told Craig. “I’ve got this husband who’s like, when it’s time to leave — it’s 3:00 — he’s getting up and going to the bathroom. And I was like, dude, dude, 3:00 departure means you’ve done all that, you know?”
Michelle also credited her brother with encouraging her to support Barack’s presidential aspirations.
“I mean, we knew Barack was smart and, you know, ambitious,” she said. “But you talked me into supporting his run, and he was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea.”