Michelle Obama has officially shut down rumors that she and former President Barack Obama are getting a divorce.
In a new episode of the Work in Progress podcast with actress Sophia Bush, the former First Lady opened up about the speculation surrounding her recent public absences—specifically her choice to skip President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration. Those decisions, she said, were simply personal choices, not signs of marital trouble.
“There’s this pressure we feel, especially as women, to never disappoint anyone,” Michelle said. “So much so that when I made a decision for myself, people couldn’t believe it—they assumed my husband and I must be getting divorced.”
She added, “Why couldn’t it just be a grown woman making decisions for herself? That’s what society does to us. If we step outside the box people put us in, it’s automatically seen as something bad.”
Michelle, who turned 61 in January, reflected on being in a new phase of life and asking deeper questions about how she wants to live going forward. “Now’s the time for me to ask: Who do I want to be every day?” she shared. “And that can look however I want it to look.”
She emphasized that she’s still active—giving speeches, working on projects, and advocating for girls’ education. She also mentioned the Obama Presidential Library, set to open in a year on Chicago’s South Side, and said she’s involved in it in her own way.
“There are certain things I am and am not doing with the library,” she said. “But when I say no, people usually understand—and that feels okay.”
