Michelle Obama reveals how she deals with ‘rumours’ in live taping of new podcast IMO

Former first lady Michelle Obama has opened up about how she and husband Barack deal with life in the spotlight amid what she described as “gossip”.

Michelle Obama has opened up about how she and husband Barack deal with life in the spotlight amid what she described as “rumours” and “gossip”.

During a live taping of her and her brother Craig Robinson’s new podcast IMO at SXSW, Michelle shared how she and her family have dealt with public scrutiny and speculation.

“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.

Michelle Obama during her live podcast at the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. Picture: Getty Images

“Because, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way — a lot of rumours, 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.”

Michelle said she and her husband do their best to tune out the negativity by staying out of the comments section on social media.

“But through it all, what kept us sane — and we tried to instil this in our daughters — is, you cannot live through social media,” she said.

“I don’t think I have ever once looked at a comment section, period.”

Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother, speaks on stage. Picture: Getty Images

It came after Michelle earlier revealed on the podcast what has been her biggest pet peeve in her marriage, as she opened up about how hard it was when Barack first entered the White House.

The former first lady, chatting to her brother, said her first reaction was “no way”, when she learned that husband Barack was running for the presidency.

“I couldn’t have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,” Michelle said, referring to Craig, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Michelle Obama and Barack Obama have been married since 1992. Picture: AFP

Michelle Obama says brother Craig Robinson helped through her White House years. Picture: AP

“Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that none of us kind of banked on,” she said.

“We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know,” she went on. “You talked me into supporting his run,” she said, referring to Craig.

Michelle Obama, at her husband’s inauguration in 2009, says she could not have gotten through her White House years without her brother’s support.

Michelle also told the podcast how Barack Obama’s lack of punctuality has irked her throughout their marriage.

Mr Robinson joked that Barack’s laid-back nature was due to his Hawaiian upbringing and that the former US president was operating on “island time”.

Michelle Obama with her brother Craig Robinson and daughter Sasha at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. Picture: AP

Reflecting on their marriage, Michelle told how “when it’s time to leave,” she would notice her husband “getting up and going to the bathroom,” and doing other things that result in the couple being late.

“I was like, ‘Dude, a 3 o’clock departure means you’ve done all that,’ you know, it’s like, don’t start looking for your glasses at the 3 o’clock departure,” Michelle said.

The Obamas have been the subject of split rumours. Picture: AFP

 

However, she admitted that her husband had worked to better his timekeeping, saying, “He’s improved over 30 years of marriage, but that was a ‘you must adjust.’”

Michelle said the couple’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, know their mother always likes to be on time and always ensure they are early when they are with her.

The pair campaigning for Kamala Harris last August. Picture: AFP

“They’ve learned how to snap to it,” Michelle said of her adult children, now aged 26 and 23.

 It comes amid rumours that the pair’s marriage is troubled, with Barack Obama making several high-profile solo appearances over the last few months.

Michelle did not attend former US president Jimmy Carter’s funeral in early January because she was on holiday.

Barack later went to a private dinner in DC alone before attending US President Trump’s inauguration solo — the only former US president without his spouse at the ceremony.

Barack Obama attended Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony without his wife. Picture: AFP

A source told Page Six in January that Michelle has “checked out” of her life in Washington, DC, as she is “fed up with the political circus” and “pretending everything is OK with Barack all the time.”

“They don’t pretend that they have this Camelot relationship. They’re not trying to present that they’re this magical couple,” another source who worked with the pair told Page Six at the time.

Despite the rumours of marital woes, the pair have recently shared loving Instagram posts.

A source at the time of Mr Trump’s inauguration told Page Six that Michelle’s absence had to do with her dislike of the US President, adding that she is not “phony”.

 Despite the marital rumours, the Obamas have recently shared loving posts to mark personal milestones.

Barack shared a loving Instagram post  on Valentine’s Day saying, “Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away.”

His wife returned the sweet gesture by writing, “You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be.”

Originally published as Michelle Obama reveals how she deals with ‘rumours’ in live taping of new podcast IMO