Barack and Michelle Obama spark speculation they are ‘heading for divorce’ amid notable public absences
Could Barack and Michelle Obama be heading for a divorce?
Some fans believe it could be true, as they are starting to suspect that something is awry after news broke that Michelle would not be attending Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony with her husband.
Her spokesperson released a statement to the Associated Press this week, stating the absence.
‘Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,’ the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama told the outlet.
The former first lady was also noticeably absent from former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on January 9 due to a ‘scheduling conflict.’
However, some political fans are worried that there might be trouble in paradise for the power couple, and are taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts.
‘I’m calling it, the Obamas are getting a divorce,’ one person wrote on the social media platform.
Someone else posited, ‘An Obama divorce would not be on my 2025 predictions but it might happen.’
Could Barack and Michelle Obama be heading for a divorce? Some fans believe it could be true
The former first lady was also noticeably absent from former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on January 9 due to a ‘scheduling conflict’
One claimed, ‘Her and Obama are on the outs!! They are getting a divorce!!! She doesn’t want to be around him!!!’
‘Sounds like an Obama divorce is on the horizon, we’ve all seen it, they stop attending functions together,’ another typed.
Another user typed, ‘I feel like the Obamas are about to get a divorce..’
Others, however, don’t believe the rumor, and suggested that Michelle might have been making a political statement instead.
‘I don’t know anything about their marriage, but it’s very clear to me that Michelle Obama is making a very specific *political* statement with these absences. She would never choose Jimmy Carter’s funeral to announce her divorce. Let’s be sensible here,’ one person wrote.
Another agreed, ‘Michelle Obama is in mourning/grieving the loss of her mom… On top of her not being a political figure and you all believe a TikTok about her and Barack getting a divorce because she missed a funeral and won’t attend a felon’s inauguration.’
The couple, who first met in 1989 when they both worked at a law firm in Chicago, married in 1992.
They welcomed their first daughter, Malia, six years later, and their second daughter, Sasha, two years after that.
However, some political fans are worried that there might be trouble in paradise for the two of them, and are taking to X to share their thoughts
‘Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,’ the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama told the outlet
However, although they’ve had a long-lasting marriage, the two have not shied away from sharing their struggles.
When they first had children, the couple had some fights, as Barack would commute on a six-hour round trip to work at the Illinois Senate, and sometimes spend days away due to his job.
In his 2020 memoir, Barack recalling an exhausted Michelle telling him on one occasion: ‘This isn’t what I signed up for, Barack. I feel like I’m doing it all by myself.’
At first, Michelle was resistant to Barack running for President, but warmed to the idea after she realized the enormous impact he could have on young, Black children across the nation.
While they were in the White House, the two did have their fair share of arguments, but have continued to persevere.
Barack recalled in his book an ‘undercurrent of tension in her’ during their early years in the White House, which he said was ‘subtle but constant.’
But after his Presidency, the two were able to get back to their relationship and enjoy each other once again.
In his book, Barack wrote that they spent a lot of time ‘replenishing their friendship’ and ‘rediscovering their love’ after leaving the White House in 2017.
However, although they’ve had a long-lasting marriage, the two have not shied away from sharing their struggles
When they first had children, the couple had some fights, as Barack would commute on a six-hour round trip to work at the Illinois Senate, and sometimes spend days away due to his job
‘We slept late, ate leisurely dinners, went for long walks, swam in the ocean, took stock, and planned for a less eventful but hopefully no less satisfying second act,’ he wrote.
On her podcast, Michelle even recalled wanting to ‘push Barack out of the window’ on numerous occasions, but added that she was glad she ‘didn’t quit’ on her husband.
‘You’ve got to know that there are going to be times, long periods of time, when you can’t stand each other,’ she told her listeners.
‘The feelings will be intense. But that doesn’t mean you quit and these periods can last a long time – they can last years.
‘[Me and Barack] have a very strong marriage. If I had given up on it, if I had walked away from it, in those tough times, then I would’ve missed all the beauty that was there as well.’
