Former US first lady Michelle Obama has addressed her reduced presence in public and at political events, saying she is focusing on her well-being and making conscious choices to take back control of her time.
In conversation with actress Sophia Bush on the Work In Progress podcast, she also dismissed the ongoing divorce rumours with Barack Obama and opened up about shifts in her life since leaving the White House eight years ago. With her daughters now adults, she said that she has found the freedom to reassess her priorities and focus on her well-being.
Her absence from events such as President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter earlier this year prompted speculation that everything was not well among the Obamas. The most persistent rumour was that she and former US President Barack Obama were headed for a split.
“I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago, but I didn’t give myself that freedom. Maybe even as much as I let my kids live their own lives, I use their lives as an excuse for why I couldn’t do something,” she said, as per CNN.
Ms Obama revealed that stepping away from certain high-profile commitments was a deliberate choice rooted in self-care. “I get to look at my calendar, which I did this year, was a real big example of me, myself looking at something that I was supposed to do – you know, without naming names – and I chose to do what was best for me, not what I had to do, not what I thought other people wanted me to do,” she said.
Addressing that, Ms Obama acknowledged the discomfort many women felt in putting themselves first. She said, “That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with, like disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know – they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
Despite stepping away from some public roles, Michelle Obama said she was active in causes close to her heart. She said she still delivered speeches, engaged in various projects and continued her work in girls’ education.
Ms Obama has not shied away from discussing the pressures their marriage has faced, especially during Barack Obama’s presidency. In her memoir ‘Becoming,’ she detailed periods of personal strain, including feelings of loneliness and exhaustion during their time in the White House.
Since then, she has maintained a prominent voice in American public life, especially around education and politics. She was actively involved in the 2024 campaign cycle, backing Kamala Harris.
At a rally in Michigan before the election, she said: “Please, please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump, who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us.”
The Obamas have been married for 32 years and are parents to two daughters.
