Michelle Obama dismissed rumors that she and former President Barack Obama are heading toward divorce.
While speaking on the “Work in Progress” podcast, the former first lady discussed having the freedom to pursue and decline different opportunities since leaving the White House. She said whenever she makes “a choice for myself,” people are quick to assume her marriage is over.
“We as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people,” she told host and “One Tree Hill” star Sophia Bush. “They couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing. That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself. But that’s what that’s what society does to us.”
While she continues to give speeches, pursue projects and advocate for girl’s education, the 61-year-old said she has become more reflective about how she spends her time.
“Now is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of … ‘Who do I truly want to be every day? And that changes,” Obama said. “If it doesn’t fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible.”
Obama was notably absent when her husband, former President Barack Obama, attended President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, which several former first ladies attended.
Michelle Obama discusses producing Netflix dating show
Since leaving the White House in 2016, Michelle Obama has written two books: 2018’s “Becoming” and 2022’s “The Light We Carry.”
But Obama’s best project, at least in Bush’s opinion, was her work on the new Netflix dating series “The Later Daters,” which follows six adults over the age of 50 delving into dating etiquette while guided by their children.
“I have sobbed every episode. And let me tell you something. It’s because it takes what we should do and gives us what we could do,” Bush told Obama. “It is a story turning love on its head.”
Obama explained that she decided to produce the show after knowing people in her life over 50 who struggle entering the dating world again.
“Reality TV is a part of life, and I’m a fan of reality TV, and so it was very important for our company to reflect not just my husband’s taste, but mine, as well,” she said. “But there’s a way that I want to do it. It’s got to be about learning, it’s got to be about that adding value.”
Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY