Michelle Obama Goes Off On 'Divorce' Rumors and Rages 'It's My Life Now' — After Former First Lady Ditches Husband Barack and Misses Key Public Appearances
Michelle Obama commented on the speculation she is leaving Barack.
June 26 2025, Published 4:15 p.m. ET
Michelle Obama has lashed out once more at growing rumors she and husband Barack Obama are headed for a divorce, RadarOnline.com can report.
The former first lady fueled the speculation when she enjoyed an intimate lunch with a male pal — and Barack was nowhere to be seen.
The former first lady lashed out during a podcast appearance.
Rumors have been flying 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.
On Thursday, Michelle appeared on NPR’s Wild Card podcast and told host Rachel Martin she was well aware how her glaring absence would look.
"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," the 61-year-old said.
"That was a part of me using my ambition to say, 'Let me define what I want to do, apart from what I'm supposed to do, what the world expects of me.'"
It was a choice Michelle said she is willing to own.
"Whatever the backlash was, I had to sit in it and own it. But I didn't regret it, you know? It's my life now, and I can say that, now. But we'll see. Maybe next year, we sit down, I'll go, 'You know, Rachel, I went a little too far.'"
Un-Social Media
Michelle said at her age, she's ok staying out of the spotlight.
Michelle defended her shunning of the spotlight since she and Barack left office in 2016, saying that's no longer her style.
"The fact that people don't see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumors of the end of our marriage.
"It's like, 'OK, so we don't Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60. We're 60, y'all. You just are not gonna know what we're doing every minute of the day."
But followers have been scouring the internet for clues, discovering Michelle has been on vacation on the Spanish island of Mallorca with her two daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24 – and no Barack.
The trio were joined at a cozy lunch by James Costos, 62, a former U.S. ambassador to Spain, and his partner Michael Smith, 62, the Obamas' longtime interior designer and former White House decorator-in-chief.
Costos and Smith have been longtime friends of the Obamas and hosted the family many times at their Rancho Mirage home in Palm Springs, California.
Show of Support
Within the last few months, divorce rumors have been ramping up.
Divorce rumors have been swirling for months now, especially as Michelle continues to participate in podcast interviews and give more insight into her marriage.
Amid the divorce speculation, the former first lady revealed she returned to therapy because she needed support because she's going through change after spending eight years in the White House.
Michelle further dismissed speculation about her marriage and addressed the rumors head-on during an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast last month.
During the episode, she told the hosts: "If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it."
Barack Breaks His Silence
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Michelle was spotted earlier this week having lunch without Barack.
However, a source who once worked with Barack and Michelle backed up the claims their marriage was struggling.
The insider revealed: "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 told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper: "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."
