Ex-First Lady Michelle Obama has finally responded to rumours of marital troubles with her husband Barack.
After claims of a former White House divorce began to spiral, the 61-year-old stepped in to quell speculation during an appearance on actress Sophia Bush's "Work in Progress" podcast.
Michelle dismissed divorce rumours during the episode, which aired on Tuesday, and claimed speculation was "what society does to us" when women make independent choices.
The Obamas have been the subject of intense separation rumours for several months.
And concerns about the couple intensified when Michelle was absent from former President Jimmy Carter's funeral in December.
The Obamas have been the subject of intense separation rumours for several months
REUTERS
It was later revealed she had been on holiday in Hawaii during the event.
All other living former presidents attended - all with their wives.
Michelle also raised eyebrows when she missed President Donald Trump's inauguration in January.
These no-shows, alongside a birthday photo posted by Barack Obama showing the pair struggling to reach each other across a dinner table, fuelled speculation about their marriage.
Michelle was also photographed in February having a "serious" conversation with her brother, Craig Robinson.
But during the podcast, Michelle revealed that skipping these high-profile political events was her own decision.
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Barack Obama had shared a photo of the pair struggling to reach each other across a dinner table
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"That's the thing that we, as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people," she said.
She questioned why people couldn't accept "a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself".
"Now is the time for me to start asking myself these hard questions of who do I truly want to be every day," she added.
She said her life now looks like "whatever I want it to look like".
Michelle and Barack Obama have been married since 1992.
The former First Lady has opened up about marital challenges during her husband's time in the Oval Office before.
"People think I'm being catty by saying this - it's like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband," Michelle admitted during a 2023 interview on Revolt TV, but added the difficulties arose "when those kids were little".
In her own podcast, Michelle acknowledged marriage struggles - and joked that his consistent lateness was an issue.
The former Commander-in-Chief recently acknowledged being in a 'deep deficit' with his wife
REUTERS"He's improved over 30 years of marriage, but that was a 'you must adjust,'" she said.
Meanwhile, the former Commander-in-Chief recently acknowledged being in a "deep deficit" with his wife after his two presidencies consumed eight years of their marriage.
Speaking to Hamilton College president Steven Tepper last Thursday, Barack Obama, 63, said he was writing his book and planning dates with Michelle to make up for lost time.
"Look, I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things," he explained.
But Michelle has maintained that despite their challenges, marriage can never truly be even.
"I would take 10 bad years over 30... It's just how you look at it," she said.
