The recent appearances and the absences of Barack and Michelle Obama have been making headlines lately.
PageSix shared images of the former president while he was out in Los Angeles on Friday, April 25. He was seen wearing a black jacket, black shirt and dark gray trousers as he
headed into Hamasaku, a sushi restaurant in West Los Angeles, to enjoy dinner with his daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23.
The family outing was missing one member, as the former first lady wasn’t in attendance, reigniting the speculation about the state of her marriage to Barack.
“I bet they secretly divorced,” said one PageSix reader in reaction to Michelle’s absence.
Another reader remarked, “Michelle is getting on MY nerves!! I can only imagine what Barack is going through!!”
And a third follower reminded people that even couples can have their own lives. “This is not a story people. The daughters are in LA. President Obama was in LA and Mrs. Obama was not. Of course he is going to have dinner with his daughters. They are an international couple with many things going on and not always in the same place together. Do you think Bill and Hillary or GW and Laura are together 24/7?”
Michelle’s absence at dinner comes after several interviews and podcast appearances where she directly addressed the ongoing divorce rumors.
Michelle Obama skips Barack’s family outing with their daughters after shutting down divorce rumors https://t.co/iQW6lEfYGm pic.twitter.com/gjAuvbEGqm
— Page Six (@PageSix) April 27, 2025
In a recent appearance on Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast, Michelle got candid about the rumors. The conversation included Bush asking about the family’s life and schedule now that they were no longer in the White House.
Michelle told Bush she feels more empowered to spend her time how she wants to.
“People couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” Michelle stated earlier this month. “This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself, right? But that’s what society does to us.”
The “choices” she made for herself alluded to her not attending particular politically associated events where it is customary for former ladies to attend. She was a no-show at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Jan. 9 and again absent a few weeks later at Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Michelle’s absence at the high-level events sparked whispers of divorce when it was discovered that she opted out of the events for extended vacations or scheduling conflicts, leaving her husband to attend alone.
She later doubled down on the power of reclaiming her time and making her own choices.
“I feel like it’s time for me to make some big-girl decisions about my life and to own it fully, right, because if not now, when? What am I waiting for?” she said.
Despite the hearsay about her sabbatical from public appearances being linked to alleged signs of marital trouble, it reflects her commitment to self-care and personal growth.
During past conversations on her podcast, “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” which she shares with her older brother, Craig Robinson, she has provided reasoning on why this time out of the public eye is so important to her and how she and her husband dismiss the gossip.
She spoke on the “negative energy” constantly thrown toward her family while they were in the White House during a live taping of their podcast on March 13 in Austin, Texas, at SXSW.
“Don’t let that negative energy enter into your space,” she continued. “These are people who don’t know you. A lot of this stuff is made up, and it does not feed you. That doesn’t mean you don’t stay informed, but staying informed has nothing to do with the comment section. It has everything to do with the content of the stories that you take in.”
In another episode, she clarified how their relationship has always been founded on their ability to face challenges and mutual support. When someone asked for advice on how to date someone with an undesirable financial situation, Craig followed up with a question.
“Would you be attracted to a guy who’s not financially sound when you meet him?” he asked.
To which Michelle answered, “I married one.”
She elaborated on her husband’s unwavering support when she chose to leave her corporate law firm position. She recalled him saying, “I got your back. The risks you think you’re taking, they aren’t that crazy, and I’m here to help you.”
She claimed that knowing he was beside her to face any challenge was more valuable than his financial standing.
“That’s when I said, ‘I would rather have that in a partner than a higher income. I would rather have somebody who is ready to do some hard things with me.’ But that meant I had to be ready to do some hard things with him,” said the Harvard Law grad.
Barack has also publicly addressed how their new freedom has allowed him to refocus on rebuilding his time with his wife of over three decades.
During a conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper, he explained how his marriage suffered while he gave his attention to the United States for eight years.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” he stated. “So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
Although the rumor mill is still swirling, the two have never confirmed a divorce or separation. They continue living together in Washington, D.C., and are spotted proudly wearing their wedding bands — whether they are seen together or not.
