Former US First Lady Michelle Obama has shared her personal experience of being married to former President Barack Obama. She described how overwhelming it sometimes felt, especially during his time in the US Senate.
She spoke during an episode of the “Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast”, where she and her brother Craig Robinson interviewed Dr. Sharon Malone. Malone is married to former US Attorney General Eric Holder.
Michelle said she met Malone for the first time at a Congressional Black Caucus dinner. Both women were there to support their husbands, who were rising political figures at the time.
“They put us together because we were both reluctant spouses attending one of these huge dinners,” Michelle said.
“And what, where were they? Was Barack a U.S. senator?” she asked rhetorically.
Shared Experience at a Political Event
Barack Obama became a US senator in 2004. He gained national attention after delivering a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention. He resigned from the Senate in 2008 after winning the presidential election.
Michelle recalled one moment at the dinner that left a lasting impression on her. There was a long line of people waiting to shake hands with their husbands. She described how people leaned over her and Malone, even spilling water on them in the rush to greet Barack and Eric.
“You know, people, like reaching over our heads and spilling water on us, trying to get to these two, you know, illustrious men,” Michelle said.
In that moment, she made eye contact with Malone and felt a strong connection.
“She had the same look on her face as I did, like, ‘Here we go,'” Michelle explained.
“And I looked over at this beautiful woman … But I just saw the look on her face, which expressed the sentiments that I felt, which was.”
Her brother Robinson jokingly suggested she was “p**ed off.”*
Michelle responded quickly, saying it wasn’t anger, but rather surprise and shared understanding.
“You see this? Like, this is crazy, isn’t it, girl?” she said.
Michelle Obama Responds to Divorce Rumors
Michelle’s comments come just weeks after she addressed public rumours about a possible divorce from Barack Obama.
She discussed the issue during another podcast appearance hosted by actress Sophia Bush.
“That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with — disappointing people,” Michelle said.
She expressed frustration over the assumptions made when she recently took time for herself.
Michelle Obama just said that the least important thing a woman's reproductive system does is create life.
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) May 29, 2025
This monster is beyond evil! pic.twitter.com/K8XFaTY5nP
“So much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself,” she said.
People assumed she and Barack were divorcing simply because she made independent decisions.
“That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?” Michelle added.
She said society often misjudges women when they make personal choices.
“That’s what society does to us,” she said.
“We start actually, finally going, ‘What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?'”
Michelle continued, “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.”
Her comments drew attention to the challenges many women face in balancing public expectations, personal identity and private needs.
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