Many people regard Michelle and Barack Obama as the ultimate power couple. However, nobody’s perfect, and this former POTUS and FLOTUS aren’t afraid to admit that. In 2020, Mrs Obama revealed that her marriage to Barack has been a bumpy road, and it’s taken them a long time to get where they are today. During an episode of her famous podcast, the former First Lady revealed some shocking revelations that made people rethink America’s most loving (and most adorable) couple.
Still, these two have definitely had some #relationshipgoals moments. For instance, there was that time when Michelle turned 56 and Barack uploaded those romantic photo booth snapshots on IG with the caption “In every scene, you are my star.” Another time, Michelle took Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to share a playlist for her lover on Twitter, while Barack posted a cute couples’ pic of them together.
Their online behavior and the way they act in person shows that this couple is very in love, but even the most PDA filled relationships have their issues. Especially ones that last longer than a decade. She first saw trouble when a young student walked into her office. She was actually Barack’s boss at the time, tutoring him, and while she thought he was cute, always considered him “off limits” due to them working together.
Their first date was spent watching Do The Right Thing, a famous Spike Lee film, after taking a stroll in a park. The way she describes their first kiss, after the two stopped for ice cream, makes us swoon. She said, “from that kiss on, it was love, and he was my man.”
In 2008, Michelle told The New Yorker that Barack wasn’t always so on board with getting married, saying the two had a “running debate” about taking their love to the next level. While Barack didn’t think marriage was necessary, Michelle set the record straight, saying she’s “not one of those who’ll just hang out forever.”
Fortunately, Barack took the hint and proposed at a Chicago eatery, but not before they got into on of their classic fired-up discussions. But then dessert came out with a ring on a tray, and it was history from thereon out.
Their wedding took place in 1992 at the Windy City’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Their wedding song was “You and I” by soul singer Stevie Wonder. Then came Malia in 1998, and Michelle in 2013. Her priorities shifted “to make sure our family is whole” as she put it to Vogue magazine.
We learned more jaw-dropping facts about the behind the scenes of her life in her revealing autobiography and Netflix documentary, as well as her podcast. For instance: she didn’t immediately fall in love with Barack when she met him. Instead, she saw him as a bit of a geek with bad style, like white linen blazers that look like a costume from Miami Vice.
She also said that how different he was “challenged” the ex FLOTUS in different ways, and she even called him a “tsunami” that would sweep her up as an accessory to his dreams. Still, she took that challenge head-on and quit law, along with making other big decisions.
On Conan O’Brien, Michelle shocked viewers when she told the crowd, “People aren’t perfect. Marriage is hard. It’s a struggle for everyone,” Michelle admitted. “You’ve got to know that there are going to be long periods of time when you can’t stand each other.”
She even claimed she wanted to “push Barack out of the window” at times. Passion has two sides, after all! Still, she said this is an unavoidable part of any long-term relationship, and that weathering the storms and tough times is essential to any strong marriage.
Michelle also confessed that having kids put a strain on the marriage. In her classic candid nature, she commented, “They are amazing and I would not trade them in, but they can mess up a marriage.” Today, Sasha and Malia are all grown up, and their mother just wants them to take “a moment to figure out who they want to be in the world.” Michelle has always had a pragmatic approach to raising her girls. For instance, even when they lived at the White House, she made them do their own chores.
Sasha headed off to the University of Michigan, while Malia took time off, deferring her entry to Harvard to travel to Bolivia and Peru and take on a film internship. While Sasha doesn’t have a romantic interest on the horizon, Malia has been linked to Rory Farquharson, who she met at Harvard.
The Obama’s daughters are usually quite private, so in a rare May 2020 interview, when they revealed a surprising fact about what their mother was really like out of the limelight, fans all over did a double take.
The interview was part of Becoming, Michelle Obama’s 34-date publicity tour to promote her book. It contained themes of empowerment and perseverance for women all around the world, including fighting the urge to conform to others’ expectations. In the book, she discusses how much of America (particularly The New Yorker) painted her as an Anti-American terrorist.
Of course, her daughters were exposed to this mistreatment too, but years later, they explained in the rare media appearance that their mom was “no longer facing that same scrutiny.” Malia adds that moving on from that time “creates so much more space” in your mind, and Sasha expresses that she’s extremely proud of her mother’s achievements.
In another scene that’s sure to make you ugly cry, Malia sits with her mom, who greets her as “my little potato.” Malia tells her mom that she loves her, and reveals a poignant truth, saying, This has demonstrated in a way – it’s just like, damn, those eight years weren’t for nothing. You know? You see that huge crowd out there and that last kind of speech you gave about – people are here because people really believe in hope and hope in other people.”
It’s clear that Michelle Obama isn’t just an inspiration to us, but to her daughters who get to witness all her magic firsthand. Still, Michelle doesn’t see her time as a First Lady as her biggest accomplishment, saying, “so much more of who I am is what happened before.”
Today, Barack and Michelle are empty-nesters exploring a whole new chapter, but Michelle still holds onto her sense of honesty. In the film, she states that she and her husband aren’t one of a kind, and that there are millions of Michelle and Barack Obamas all over the world.” What counts, she reminds us, is opening up and breaking down boundaries between millions of people.
