Michelle Whines About Following Barack To WH, His Tardiness Amid Split Rumors
Eight years have passed since Michelle Obama left the White House, yet she continues to reflect on the difficulties that came with supporting her husband Barack Obama’s path to the presidency.
In the first episode of her podcast, "IMO," which debuted on Wednesday, the 61-year-old—who has been married to Barack since 1992—shared that her initial response to his decision to run for president was, "no way."
“I couldn’t have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,” Michelle remarked about her older brother Craig, 62, who currently serves as the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, according to the New York Post.
Her comments come amid growing speculation about the state of her marriage to Barack, as the couple has not been frequently seen together in recent months.
“Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that none of us kind of banked on. We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know,” she elaborated.
Addressing her brother Craig, Michelle recalled, “You talked me into supporting his run.”
“And he [Barack] was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea. Because I was definitely like, no, no way,” she added, per The Post.
Michelle, who has been candid about her aversion to politics, also reminisced about the early days of dating Barack at Chicago’s Sidley Austin law firm, expressing frustration over his perpetual lateness.
“Barack had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was,” she noted. “You know, I’ve got this husband who, when it’s time to leave, he’s getting up and going to the bathroom. And I was like, dude, like three o’clock departure means you’ve done all that. It’s like, don’t start looking for your glasses, you know, at the three o’clock departure,” she said, before acknowledging, “he’s improved over 30 years of marriage.”
During the podcast episode, Robinson opened up about his own divorce as the siblings reflected on their upbringing in Chicago’s South Side. Michelle, who has authored two non-fiction books since departing the White House in 2017, also voiced her irritation over Barack’s tendency to avoid deep discussions with his friends, even during lengthy golf outings.
“My husband is like, ‘what are you talking about all day?’” she told writer and actress Issa Rae in the second episode of her podcast, which premiered the same day.
Michelle asserted that Barack “does not fully understand” the complexities of female friendships.
For months, rumors have swirled regarding the couple’s relationship, including speculation that Barack was romantically involved with actress Jennifer Aniston.
The "Friends" actress refuted these claims on Jimmy Kimmel Live, clarifying that she had only “met him once.”
“I know Michelle more than him,” she added.
Further fueling rumors, Barack attended a Los Angeles Clippers game courtside on Wednesday without Michelle. Instead, he was spotted alongside Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie Snyder, appearing to be the third wheel.
Additionally, Barack notably attended President Donald Trump’s second inauguration alone in January after Michelle, an outspoken critic of Trump, opted to forgo the event.
Michelle was also absent from her husband's side at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral in D.C., with reports indicating that she extended her vacation in Hawaii instead.
Despite the ongoing speculation, the couple displayed affection on Valentine’s Day last month, both posting heartfelt messages to each other on social media, as reported by The Post.
Following Michelle’s decision to skip Trump’s inauguration, a source close to her revealed that the former first lady had no interest in pretending to smile for someone she still perceives as a threat to American democracy.