Barack Obama Makes Another Public Appearance Without Wife Michelle
Former President Barack Obama made a courtside appearance at a Los Angeles Clippers game on Wednesday, but what caught attention was the absence of his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, further fueling speculation about their marriage.
Instead, Obama was spotted sitting with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie Snyder, making him somewhat of a "third wheel," as TMZ described it.
Despite this, the 44th president appeared to be in good spirits, watching as the Clippers secured a 123-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
When the big screen at the newly opened Intuit Dome highlighted his presence, Obama stood and waved to the crowd, receiving a standing ovation, according to the New York Post. “The NBA game was the latest of Barack’s public appearances sans wife, which has brought their marriage under scrutiny,” the outlet noted.
At 63 years old, Obama also notably attended President Donald Trump’s second inauguration alone this past January, while Michelle, who has been an outspoken critic of the 45th and 47th president, opted not to attend.
Similarly, she was absent at President Jimmy Carter’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral in D.C. Reports suggested she had chosen to extend her vacation in Hawaii instead.
The day before the Clippers game, Obama dined at the high-end Anajak Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks with his daughters, Malia and Sasha. Once again, Michelle’s absence did not go unnoticed, as reported by TMZ.
Despite persistent rumors, the couple seemed affectionate last month on Valentine’s Day, sharing loving messages on social media, as noted by The Post.
“Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away,” the former president captioned a selfie of the two smiling together in a post on X.
“If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, @BarackObama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” Michelle wrote, adding a heart emoji and the same selfie.
After Michelle decided to forgo Trump’s inauguration, a source familiar with her views said she had no intention of pretending to be cordial with someone she still considers a danger to American democracy.
“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake,” the source told PEOPLE magazine. “Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s protocol or it’s tradition.”
The source explained that Trump’s past remarks about the Obama family and alleged comments regarding people of color had shaped Michelle’s perception of him. If she had attended the inauguration, she likely would have been expected to suppress her true feelings in public.
“She served in the public eye and did all the public good that she could for eight years as first lady,” the source said regarding her time in the White House. “You’ll see her when she has a project or cause to promote, but she doesn’t feel the need to be a public figure anymore.”
Barack did attend Trump’s inauguration but skipped post-inaugural events.
Michelle, who grew up in an upper-middle-class environment before attending Harvard Law School, stirred controversy during Barack’s 2008 campaign for the presidency. In February of that year, she made headlines by saying, “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is making a comeback.”
She has also famously stated, “When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is ‘When they go low, we go high,’” even as she has labeled Trump a "threat to democracy" despite no direct actions undermining America’s constitutional order. Curiously, Michelle has not criticized President Joe Biden for leveraging federal authority against his political opponents—most notably, Trump.