Former President Barack Obama delivered a remarkably candid admission regarding the state of his marriage to Michelle Obama in a recent interview.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” Barack, 63, told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper in a conversation Thursday, according to the Daily Beast. “So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
The former president has previously indicated that his consecutive terms in office from 2009 to 2017 took a toll on his relationship with the former first lady.
“Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her,” Barack said in a May 2023 interview, making sure to praise Michelle for being “forgiving” of his shortcomings.
Meanwhile, she revealed in December 2022 that she “couldn’t stand” her husband for a solid decade when their daughters — Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23 — “were little,” adding that she wasn’t “being catty by saying this.”
According to Michelle, “marriage isn’t 50/50 — ever, ever.”
“There are times I’m 70, he’s 30. There are times he’s 60, [I’m] 40. But guess what? Ten years — we’ve been married 30 — I would take 10 bad years over 30. It’s just how you look at it.”
In an April 2023 interview, she explained that she discusses her partnership openly “because marriage is hard, and many young people give up on it over challenges that are simply part of the commitment.” She also acknowledged that the compromises involved “ain’t always fun.”
The Obamas, who have been married since October 1992, have lately been the subject of divorce rumors that appear to have begun in January after Barack Obama attended several political events alone, including former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
That said, an insider claimed at the time that Michelle is simply “checked out” of DC life, according to Page Six.
One source who used to work with the Obamas also told the outlet: “They don’t pretend that they have this Camelot relationship. They’re not trying to present that they’re this magical couple.”
Regarding how she deals with online comments about her personal and home life, Michelle — who has said she’s never “once looked at a comment section” — said in March: “You cannot live through social media. Don’t let that negative energy enter into your space. These are people who don’t know you. A lot of this stuff is made up, and it does not feed you.”
Michelle Obama’s new podcast has clocked in at 34th on Spotify’s top podcast chart, just weeks after she released its first episode with her brother, Craig Robinson.
On Apple Podcasts, it ranks higher at 21, according to Fox News, which added that the podcast, titled “IMO,” was launched in early March by Michelle Obama and Robinson.
Meanwhile, top shows on both platforms include “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” Joe Rogan’s “The Joe Rogan Experience,” and Amy Poehler’s new series, “Good Hang.”
On March 12, Obama and Robinson launched their podcast venture with two episodes. As of Monday morning, the first episode has amassed 335,200 views, while the second episode—featuring guest Issa Rae—has drawn 194,258 views.
Filmmakers Seth and Lauren Rogen joined Obama and Robinson on their March 19 episode, which has garnered 250,773 views on YouTube. Other guests on that episode included Keke Palmer, Dr. Laurie Santos, and former Hindu monk Jay Shetty.
According to Spotify’s charts, Obama and Robinson’s podcast currently ranks fourth in the Education category.
In the podcast’s first episode, Obama revealed that former President Barack Obama had to “adjust” to leaving on time and improve his punctuality when he and Michelle got married.
“Well, Barack, you know, he had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was,” she told her brother. “I’ve got this husband who’s like, when it’s time to leave — it’s 3:00 — he’s getting up and going to the bathroom. And I was like, dude, dude, 3:00 departure means you’ve done all that, you know?”
The former first lady revealed that Robinson encouraged her to support Barack’s presidential campaign.
“I mean, we knew Barack was smart and, you know, ambitious,” Obama said. “But you talked me into supporting his run, and he was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea.”