Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama became the United States’ favorite power couple after he won the 2008 election. With their marriage under a huge spotlight, the spouses had to navigate the ups and downs of living life in the public eye. Despite their sweet public displays of affection for each other, Americans recently became convinced that the Obamas were getting divorced. So, are the rumors true?
Below, find out what Michelle and Barack have said about their marriage.
How Long Have the Obamas Been Married?
Barack and Michelle got married in October 1992. In spite of the hectic campaign schedule during the 2024 election, the couple celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary in October 2024.
“Happy anniversary, @MichelleObama!” Barack captioned an Instagram post at the time. “32 years together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner and friend to go through life with.”
Did Michelle Obama File for Divorce?
No, Michelle has not filed for divorce. People were alarmed that she would, though, after she skipped two major public events: Donald Trump‘s presidential inauguration and late President Jimmy Carter‘s funeral, where her husband and Trump sat next to each other.
The former First Lady briefly touched on the divorce rumors during an episode of Sophia Bush‘s “Work in Progress” podcast in April 2025.
Are Barack & Michelle Obama Getting Divorced?
No, Michelle and Barack are not currently divorcing. During the “Work in Progress” podcast episode, Michelle discussed how she “learned that I can really only control me.”
“I chose to do what’s best for me, not what I had to do,” Michelle said before referring to a “real big example” of a day on her calendar that she skipped. “[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 for herself, right? But that is what society does to us.”
Michelle elaborated that now “is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of, ‘Who do I truly want to be every day?’” and that she’s looking into “making some big girl decisions” now that she’s in her 60s.
“If not now, when? What am I waiting for? How am I going to spend 20 years?” Michelle asked. “Now is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of, ‘Who do I truly want to be every day?’ I’m trying to do that more and more, so what does it look like? It looks like whatever I want it to look like, and I still find time to give speeches and to be out there in the world and to work on projects.”
One week prior to Michelle’s podcast comments, Barack admitted that he was in a “deep deficit” with Michelle and that he was working on it.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things,” Barack told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper at an April 3 event at the school.
Barack & Michelle Obama’s Children
Barack and Michelle share their two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, together.
