Michelle Obama greeted her husband, Barack Obama, on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 20, 2024. REUTERS
Michelle Obama recently shared why she’s been away from the spotlight. In a podcast released Tuesday, she talked about taking time for herself. She also responded to rumors about her marriage to former President Barack Obama.
Eight years after leaving the White House, Michelle now enjoys more control over her life. Speaking with actress Sophia Bush on the “Work in Progress” podcast, she said she finally feels free to choose how she spends her time.
“I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago,” she said. “But I didn’t give myself that freedom.” She explained that for years, she used her daughters' needs as a reason to stay busy. Now that both daughters are grown, she says she no longer needs to do that.
Michelle described a moment when she looked at her schedule and made a tough decision. She said, “I chose to do what was best for me, not what I thought others wanted me to do.”
Her choice to stay out of some major events sparked attention. She skipped Donald Trump’s second inauguration and did not attend former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral earlier this year.
People started to talk. Some wondered if she and Barack were going through a rough patch. Michelle addressed those rumors directly. She said the idea that a woman simply choosing rest must mean trouble at home is unfair.
“I still give speeches. I’m still out there. I care about girls’ education,” she said. “We’re opening the Obama Presidential Library next year. I’m still working, just doing it differently.”
Michelle admitted that saying no still makes her feel guilty. But she believes many women feel the same way. “We struggle with disappointing people,” she said. “So much so that when I made a choice for myself, people assumed we were getting a divorce.”
Michelle and Barack Obama have been married for 32 years. Barack celebrated their anniversary last October with a post online. Their long marriage has faced its share of challenges. In her book Becoming, Michelle wrote about the hard times, especially when Barack was in office. She shared how lonely and tired she often felt.
Despite stepping back from some events, Michelle still speaks out on issues that matter to her. Last year, she supported Vice President Kamala Harris and campaigned before the 2024 election. During one stop in Michigan, she urged voters to think carefully.
“Please, please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump,” she said. “He knows nothing about us and has shown deep contempt for us.”
She added, “A vote for him is a vote against us, against our health, against our worth.”
Michelle's message is clear: she’s not going away. She’s just taking care of herself, on her own terms.
