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Michelle and Barack Obama and Malia Obama
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Every kid grows up and wants independence from their parents. This is especially true for kids of very famous families. No one wants to feel like they owe everything they accomplish to their parents, or that they got to where they are because of a very famous last name. So, it’s natural to see grown-up kids of famous parents push away from them and try to establish their own identity. This is exactly what happened with Michelle and Barack Obama’s daughter, Malia.

But amid reports that she’s been pushing away from her parents, both of them celebrated her 27th birthday on July 4th with a picture and some loving words.

Related: Here are the celebrities who support Donald Trump

“Happy birthday to my darling, Malia! You’ve grown into such a smart, strong, and beautiful young woman, and I’m so proud of the way you show up in the world. Keep shining bright, my love. 🌟🥳🎉,” Michelle Obama’s caption read.

“Happy birthday, Malia! Thanks for always lighting up our world. So proud of you,” her dad, Barack Obama, wrote.

The picture they both chose is a 2014 picture showing Barack, Michelle, and Malia watching a fireworks show from the roof of the White House.

Michelle Obama also celebrated the birthday of her youngest daughter, Sasha, last month. Sasha turned 24.

“Happy birthday to my sweet girl, Sasha,” Michelle wrote on Instagram then. “Can’t believe how quickly time has flown. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. Love you always! 💕🥳🎉.”

The Instagram posts serve as proof that all is well within the family, despite some recent changes. Michelle Obama recently revealed on the podcast “Sibling Revelry” with Kate and Oliver Hudson that her daughter Malia had changed her name professionally because she’s “trying to make her way” as a director without people associating her with her famous parents.

“Our daughters [Malia and Sasha] are 25 and 23. They are young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away … [where] you’re trying to distinguish yourself,” she said. “I mean, it is very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world, and they don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard, that they’re just naturally, just handed things,” she added. “They’re very sensitive to that — they want to be their own people.”

Michelle Obama has also recently spoken about skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration, which didn’t just cause waves, but also prompted rumors about a possible divorce from her husband, former President Barack Obama. During her podcast with her brother, she explained. “My decision to skip the inauguration, what people don’t realize, or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me were met with such ridicule and criticism,” she explained. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart, you know.”

Seems like her marriage is doing just fine, and so is her relationship with her kids.

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