Michelle Obama has finally addressed the divorce rumors circulating about her marriage by confirming she’s been making her own choices.
The former First Lady has spoken publicly for the first time regarding the speculation that her relationship with Barack Obama is troubled.
Michelle, who married the former President in 1992, had been noticeably absent from some significant events, including President Donald Trump’s inauguration and former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. These absences, breaking from tradition, fueled the rumors further.
However, the 61-year-old lawyer took to Instagram to quash the speculation, sharing a nostalgic photo of her family on Sunday, June 15.
In the post, Michelle praised Barack for being a constant support to their family and celebrated him on Father’s Day.
She wrote: “I love looking back at photos like this of when our girls were younger.”
“@BarackObama has always been there for us no matter what — even when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. We’ve always been so grateful.”
“To Barack and all the dads and father-figures celebrating today, Happy Father’s Day!”
Last October, the couple celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary, marking a significant milestone.
The Instagram post follows Michelle’s previous dismissal of the divorce rumors on various podcasts. Last month, she told Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO: “If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” adding that she would address any issues publicly, as she is “not a martyr.”
On her own podcast, Michelle discussed her decision to skip Trump’s inauguration, which was met with “ridicule and criticism.” She explained, “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason. They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart,” on her IMO podcast.
Michelle also spoke on Sophia Bush’s Work in Progress podcast, emphasizing that her focus has been on herself. She admitted feeling guilty about stepping back from public duties, saying: “That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with, like disappointing people.”
She elaborated, “This year, people couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, so they assumed my husband and I are divorcing. This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right? But that’s what society does to us.”
Michelle continued: “I chose to do what was best for me. Not what I had to do. Not what I thought other people wanted me to do.”
Although she has been less visible recently, Michelle delivered an impactful speech at the Democratic National Convention last summer, urging her fellow Chicagoans to support then-presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
“Hope is making a comeback,” she declared to the audience.
Despite stepping back from some public roles, Michelle assured listeners on the podcast that she will continue advocating for causes important to her, stating: “I still care about girls’ education.”