Michelle Obama gripes about following Barack to the White House, snipes about his tardiness amid split rumors
It’s been eight years since former first lady Michelle Obama left the White House and she’s still grousing about how hard it was to follow Barack as he ascended to the highest office in the land.
The 61-year-old, who has been married to her husband since 1992, admitted her first reaction was “no way,” when she learned that Barack was running for the White House, in the debut episode of her podcast “IMO” with her brother, Craig Robinson, which premiered on Wednesday.
“I couldn’t have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,” Michelle said, referring to Craig, 62, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Michelle Obama’s complaints come amid questions about the health of the Obamas’ marriage, as they’ve barely been seen together for months.
“Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that none of us kind of banked on. 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.
“And he [Barack] was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea. Because I was definitely like, no, no way,” Michelle said on the podcast.
Michelle, who has never made any secret of her dislike for politics, also brought up her frustrations with her husband’s constant tardiness when they started dating at the Chicago-based law firm Sidley Austin.
“Barack had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was,” she said. “You know, I’ve got this husband who, when it’s time to leave, he’s getting up and going to the bathroom. And I was like, dude, like three o’clock departure means you’ve done all that. It’s like, don’t start looking for your glasses, you know, at the three o’clock departure,” she said, before admitting, “he’s improved over 30 years of marriage.”
Robinson spoke about his divorce during the episode as the two siblings discussed their childhood on the South Side of Chicago.
Michelle, who has published two non-fiction books since leaving the White House in 2017, also opened up about her irritation at the former president’s lack of deep conversations with his “buddies,” with whom he can spend up to five hours on the golf course.
“My husband is like, ‘what are you talking about all day?'” she told writer and actress Issa Rae in the second episode of her podcast, which premiered on the same day.
Obama “does not fully understand” the emotional complexities of female friendships, she added.
Michelle is set to interview a number of different guests, including Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer, while she and her brother offer advice from their own experiences.
Some guests, such as Tyler Perry, appeared on the former first lady’s previous project, “The Michelle Obama Podcast.”
The pair say they are not going to discuss current affairs on “IMO,” which stands for “in my opinion.”
It follows months of speculation about Barack and Michelle’s marriage, including wild, unfounded rumors that he was dating actress Jennifer Aniston.
Aniston, 56, said she had only “met him once,” as she was forced to deny the romance rumors on an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
“I know Michelle more than him,” the former “Friends” star said.
Obama was spotted dining alone at a DC restaurant in January where he received a loud ovation.
Michelle’s absence was also notable at both the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and President Trump’s inauguration, which Barack Obama attended.
The Obamas shared a loved-up Valentine’s Day selfie last month in a post on X, with Michelle describing her husband as “my rock” in a separate post.
But last week, Barack was seen at a Los Angeles Clippers game without Michelle, leading to further speculation about the couple.
