Michelle Obama Opens Up About Malia and Sasha ‘Nightmare’ as Rumors She’s Divorcing Barack Persist

In the midst of persistent speculation about the state of her marriage to former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama is stepping into the spotlight once again—this time, to speak candidly about her personal challenges as a mother during their time in the White House.

In a recent interview, Michelle offered rare insight into the parenting difficulties she faced while raising their daughters, Malia and Sasha, under the harsh glare of the public eye and the constraints of Secret Service protection.

Michelle, now 61, described her daughters’ teenage years in the White House as a period fraught with tension and difficulty.

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Most notably, she opened up about a particularly troubling issue—both Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, experimenting with smoking while still teenagers.

“That was a lot of work, and it got harder as they got older,” she revealed.

Ex-President Obama’s eldest daughter Malia puffs on a cigarette, weeks after her sister, Sasha was captured doing same

📸:@PageSix pic.twitter.com/ji2aLFzHKX

— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) October 5, 2023

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“They had to drive and they had to go to prom and they were on teams and they traveled to other schools and they had to do college searches, and they went to parties and they had drinks, and they tried out smoking and they did all the things. And every weekend was a nightmare, because we had to work to make sure that them being regular teenagers didn’t wind up on Page Six.”

Trying to keep her daughters’ personal experiences out of the tabloids was no easy task.

Michelle described those years as requiring “a lot of intentionality,” explaining that the presence of Secret Service agents only complicated efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy.

“When your kids are under the security of the Secret Service, you almost have to work twice as hard to make their life normal,” she explained.

“Imagine setting up the first play date or the first time the kids get invited to a play date.

The process of having my children at your house meant that an advanced team had to come and question and search your house and ask if you had drugs and guns.”

Sasha Obama seen out in Los Angeles smoking cigarettes with her friends. The pictures are now going viral. pic.twitter.com/CynbZSEB0K

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) September 8, 2023

Now that her daughters are grown, Michelle’s focus has shifted from protecting them from tabloid headlines to helping them navigate adulthood as the children of a former president.

And she’s under no illusion about the unique pressures that come with that role.

“We call that the Obama tax for them,” Michelle said.

“You’ll have it the rest of your life, but you also have a lot of benefits. I’m trying to make this feel normal to them, because you don’t want them to start thinking, number one, they’re full of themselves, that any of this is about them and that their job is to go about their lives.”

When asked about the mindset she hopes her daughters will adopt, Michelle responded plainly, “This world is not about you. This is just your dad’s job.”

But these revelations come at a time when the Obama family is facing renewed public scrutiny—not just over their parenting decisions, but over the state of Michelle and Barack’s marriage.

For several months, rumors have circulated that the Obamas are living “separate lives” and quietly heading toward divorce.

These rumors gained momentum earlier this year when Michelle notably skipped both the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and the inauguration of President Donald Trump—making her the only living former First Lady to miss both major events.

“I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting a divorce by reputable people,” said political commentator Meghan McCain during an episode of journalist Tara Palmeri’s podcast.

“I’m not talking about TMZ, I’m not talking about Perez Hilton, although I love him, he’s my friend.”

Meghan McCain spills on Obama divorce rumors amid claims they ‘live separate lives pic.twitter.com/8tR3d3eQAt

— Simo Saadi🇺🇸🇲🇦 (@Simo7809957085) January 23, 2025

“I’m talking about like very serious journalists telling me that they’re hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true,” she added.

“We’ve heard that for a long time,” Tara Palmeri replied. “Like I just heard that they live separate lives.”

Though Michelle has publicly denied the rumors, her own words have occasionally added fuel to the fire.

She has been notably critical of Barack on her podcast IMO, using the platform to share grievances not just about their time in the White House but also about her marriage.

Critics have pointed to these comments as subtle indicators of ongoing marital strain.

While Michelle has emphasized that the divorce rumors are baseless, her recent public comments—particularly those focused on past parenting “nightmares” and frustrations—may only intensify speculation about underlying tensions within the Obama household.

The Obamas, who married in 1992, have long been seen as one of America’s most admired couples.

But as Michelle continues to speak more candidly about the personal toll of public life, only time will tell whether their marriage will continue to weather the storms of fame, family, and relentless public scrutiny.

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