 "Rumours have spread about former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's possible divorce. File Photo/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports")
Social media is abuzz with speculations about the personal life of the Obamas. The absence of Michelle Obama, the former United States first lady, from two high-profile public events has sparked unfounded rumours about a possible divorce from her husband and ex-President, Barack Obama.
Michelle has previously opened up about her marital ups and downs. However, she has talked about “perseverance” that helped navigate those discords with Barack. Then why are tongues wagging about the power couple’s possible divorce now?
Let’s take a look.
What fuelled Obamas’ divorce rumours
Tweets speculating if the Obamas are headed for a divorce cropped up after reports of Michelle skipping the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday (January 20) came to light.
Her office said on Tuesday, “Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration.”
It did not offer an explanation as to why she would be absent from the inauguration , which is traditionally attended by former presidents and their spouses.
This is the second high-profile event involving Trump in recent weeks that Michelle Obama has refused to attend.
Last week, the former first lady did not accompany her husband, Barack, to the funeral of former US president Jimmy Carter.
Her absence was chalked up to a scheduling conflict, with CNN reporting she had decided to stay “in Hawaii on an extended holiday vacation” instead. Notably, as per protocol, Michelle
would have been seated next to Trump, noted New York Times (NYT).
The President-elect’s conversation with Barack at Carter’s funeral attracted eyeballs.
The former first lady is not the only one to buck tradition. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, had skipped President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 after the Republican made baseless claims that the presidential election was stolen from him.
Divorce rumours abuzz
Michelle Obama’s absence from two key public events has fuelled divorce rumours on social media.
Many X users are speculating about her personal life.
One commented, “Sounds like an Obama divorce is on the horizon, we’ve all seen it, they stop attending functions together [sic].”
“I think Barack and Michelle Obama are heading for divorce,” said another.
A third wrote, “I think more attention should be paid to Barack’s apparent disappointment in his wife. Separation? Divorce? Where’s the united front?”
Others said Michelle Obama skipping Trump’s inauguration aligns with her political stance. “Michelle Obama is making a political statement, not a personal one, a user asserted.
While divorce rumours swirl, a source familiar with the Obamas’ circle told Page Six that Michelle not attending Trump’s inauguration was “deliberate.”
“She’s never been fake and she’s never been phony. She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up,” the source said.
“She showed up reluctantly for the election. They were united, but she doesn’t have to unify around [Trump]. She doesn’t have to say anything. Her absence speaks volumes,” they added.
Michelle Obama’s disdain for Trump is widely known. She wrote in her 2018 memoir Becoming that she had never “forgiven” the Republican leader for propagating the lie that her husband was not a US citizen.
A source cited by People said, “There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake.”
Obamas’ relationship
Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson in 1989 at the Sidley Austin law firm in Chicago. She was his senior advisor for the first three months after he joined. Soon, the two started dating and eventually tied the knot in 1992.
Barack and Michelle have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
The couple has been open about their marital struggles over the years. In his memoir A Promised Land, Barack wrote: “Despite Michelle’s success and popularity, I continued to sense an undercurrent of tension in her, subtle but constant, like the faint thrum of a hidden machine.”
During an appearance on the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Michelle gave an insight into how the duo deals with disagreements in their marriage.
“It’s the choice to figure it out, not to quit when it gets hard. So yeah, I said something that I didn’t mean to say, right? Year five, we might’ve had hurt feelings and it would have taken days to rectify it. Year 30, it’s like, ‘Ah, there she goes again, or there he goes again.’ I know how to talk to him about it and when, because we’ve practiced it.”
While conspiracy theories targeting the Obamas are not new, the power couple continue to inspire many with their steadfast relationship.
With inputs from agencies