Michelle Obama Breaks Silence on Divorce Rumors — Insisting They Exploded Simply Because of Her 'Newfound Independence' After Leaving White House
For months, Barack and Michelle have been dodging divorce rumors.
April 9 2025, Published 11:44 a.m. ET
Michelle Obama has finally addressed the growing speculation she and husband Barack are having marriage troubles, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former first lady has been noticeably absent from the ex-president's side during several high profile events.
Michelle opened up about the rumors on a podcast.
Rumors have been flying that the former first couple is heading for divorce after Barack attended Jimmy Carter's funeral and Donald Trump's inauguration by himself, while Michelle was vacationing in Hawaii.
However, one insider previously told RadarOnline.com Michelle, 61, simply had "no interest" in going to the U.S. capital – something she seemed to reiterate while appearing on Sophia Bush's iHeart Radio podcast Work in Progress.
She told the host that since leaving the White House in 2017, she has been trying to rediscover and redefine herself with her newfound freedoms.
Michelle explained that in the past, she was hesitant to say "no" to invites because she didn't want to disappoint people: "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."
She told podcast host Sophia Bush she is saying 'no' more often now.
Michelle then scolded a society that questions "when a grown woman makes a set of decisions for herself."
She continued: "That's what society does to us. We start actually finally, like, going, 'What am I? What am I doing?' You know, 'What am I doing this for?'
"And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible."
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, a source who once worked with the couple said their marriage was struggling.
The insider claimed: "They don't pretend that they have this Camelot relationship. They're not trying to present that they're this magical couple."
Barack himself finally broke his silence on the subject, admitting his back-to-back terms in office took a toll on their relationship.
The former president, 63, told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper on Tuesday, April 5: "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."
In a May 2023 interview, the ex-president said he made sure to praise Michelle for being "forgiving" of his shortcomings. He revealed: "Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her."
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Earlier this week, Hollywood insider Rob Shuter reported the pair has been attending marriage therapy together in hopes of getting back on the right side of marriage.
"They love each other deeply, but marriage is work," the insider said. "They’re committed to doing that work – even now."
The source continued: "Barack’s always been comfortable with distance, and Michelle’s always been about presence. That dynamic hasn’t changed, even all these years later."
In 2022, the former first lady confessed she "couldn't stand" her husband for a solid decade when their daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, "were little," noting that she wasn't "being catty by saying this."
Michelle said, for a marriage to work, you've "got to know your person" you're married to and "like" who they are, even in times of struggle.
She explained: "You could be mad at him, but do you still look at him and go: 'I'm not happy with you, but I respect you. I don't agree with you, but you're still a kind, smart person.'"
The mother of two also claimed "feelings are going to change over time" and that couples need to put work into their relationships.
