Inside Michelle Obama’s ‘Rough Year’ Amid Rumors She & Barack ‘Live Separate Lives’ & Are Preparing For Divorce
The Obamas aren’t letting divorce rumors get to them. Amid wide speculation that the former President and first lady are separating, the two are keeping it strong.
Rumors started to circulate when Michelle was absent from President Donald Trump’s inauguration and President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Meghan McCain fueled rumors after she said on her podcast Citizen McCain, “I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting a divorce by reputable people… serious journalists,” while political reporter Tara Palmieri said, “I’ve just heard that they live separate lives.”However, Barack seemed to squash rumors when he posted a lovely Valentine’s Day post for his wife.
Recently on April 3, 2025, Barack confessed at a talk at Hamilton College that he’s in “a deep deficit with my wife.” He also added that stress affected their marriage and “it sure helps to be out of the White House.” To even out their relationship, he revealed that the he’s trying to “dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
During one particular segment of the first episode of her podcast IMO, Michelle talked about how she handled life in the public eye as a first lady and after her husband’s two terms. “People always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years that we were in the White House, but beyond?” she said. “Because, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way—a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip, a lot of, you know, my husband wasn’t born in this country…we weren’t patriotic, he didn’t get into Harvard.”
An insider told InTouch Weekly that the two have been dealing with their struggles privately. “They’ve been married for three decades and don’t need to be on top of each other 24/7,” the insider explained and revealed that they have a couple’s therapist.
Michelle previously explained that the past year has been a “rough year,” because of her mother’s passing. “So, she simply chose to stay out of the spotlight for a while,” the insider said. “It hasn’t helped that she’s been under a lot of pressure to be more outspoken on current events, but she’s never liked politics — that’s Barack’s thing.”
As for the podcast, Barack wholeheartedly supports his wife’s endeavors. “It’s right up her alley,” the insider added. “It’s not like she avoids saying his name” on the podcast. “They’ll always have each other’s back,” the insider concluded. “They’re confident in their relationship and don’t care what anyone thinks.
