In a candid interview on actress Sophia Bush’s podcast Work in Progress, Michelle Obama broke her silence on her recent absences from political events and addressed persistent rumors of a divorce from Barack Obama, emphasizing:
“People couldn’t imagine I made a choice for myself – they had to assume we were splitting up.”

The former First Lady spoke openly about how, eight years after leaving the White House and now that her daughters are adults, she finally has the luxury of setting her own schedule.
“I could’ve made a lot of these choices earlier, but I didn’t give myself that freedom,” she admitted, adding that she often used her daughters as an excuse to avoid obligations she didn’t truly want.

Referring to a recent, unnamed situation, she said:
“I looked at my calendar and decided to do what was best for me – not what I felt I should do or what I thought others wanted from me.”

Michelle Obama had not attended either Donald Trump’s inauguration or the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, which fueled public speculation. She acknowledged that women often struggle to say “no” out of fear of disappointing others.
“This is something we women wrestle with – not letting others down. And it gets to the point where choosing to do something for myself is interpreted as a problem in my marriage,” she said.

Addressing the divorce rumors head-on, she firmly denied them:
“Barack and I have been together for 32 years,” she reminded listeners, referencing Barack Obama’s heartfelt post on X last October celebrating their anniversary.

Michelle Obama has previously opened up about the toll her husband’s political career and the demands of the White House took on their relationship, describing the experience as “loneliness and exhaustion” in her bestselling memoir Becoming.

Though she has stepped back from political life, she remains active in social causes, especially advocating for girls’ education and advancing the Obama Presidential Library, set to open in the coming year.

Still, she hasn’t held back from expressing political views. During the final stretch of the 2024 presidential race, she appeared in Michigan in support of Kamala Harris, stating:
“Don’t hand our future over to Trump, who’s shown us nothing but contempt.”
She added: “A vote for him is a vote against our health, our worth, and everything we stand for.”