Barack Obama calls himself ‘lucky’ to have Michelle in his life in Mother’s Day post amid split rumors
WASHINGTON, DC: Barack Obama is proving he’s still the ultimate romantic-in-chief.
Just days after Michelle Obama addressed their divorce rumors, the 44th president took to social media on Mother’s Day to post a gushing tribute to the woman who’s been by his side for over three decades.
“Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms and mother-figures!” Barack, 63, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a glowing photo of Michelle with their two daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23. “@MichelleObama, the girls and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. We love you.”
Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms and mother-figures!@MichelleObama, the girls and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. We love you. pic.twitter.com/qmWAr50Z7F
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 11, 2025
The shoutout came on the heels of whispers that the Obamas' marriage might be on the rocks — rumors that started making the rounds when Michelle skipped several big-ticket political engagements, including former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Page Six reported.
Michelle Obama shuts down divorce rumors
On a recent episode of the 'Diary of a CEO' podcast, Michelle Obama put the speculation to rest. Her absence at Donald Trump’s inauguration had nothing to do with her marriage. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason,” she said. “They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.”
In fact, her decision to skip the event was all about self-respect. After forcing herself to attend Trump’s 2017 inauguration, Michelle said this time she was making a different choice. “It took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right, but do the thing that was right for me,” she explained. “That was a hard thing for me to do.”
Speaking of reports that she and Barack are secretly living separate lives, Michelle was not having it. “That’s not who we are,” she insisted. “And I know that about him. He knows that about me.”
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she insisted. “I’m not a martyr, I’m not. I would be problem-solving in public, and be like, ‘Let me tell you what [Barack] did.’”
The former first lady even took a moment on the 'Work in Progress' podcast with Sophia Bush to reflect on how hard it is for women to say “no” without being misunderstood.
“The interesting thing is that when I say ‘no,’ for the most part, people are like, ‘I get it,’” Michelle said. “And that’s the thing that we as women struggle with — disappointing people. So much so that people, they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
But after 32 years of marriage, Michelle says neither she nor Barack has ever seriously considered walking away. “That’s not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me,” she reiterated.
Coach Barack Obama and the Vipers
It's worth noting that despite the scrutiny, the Obamas still have those everyday family moments. In a candid interview with Lewis Howes posted on Friday, Michelle shared a memory that still makes her smile.
“One of the best stories about my husband is that he coached Sasha’s 4th-grade basketball league, the Vipers,” she recalled fondly.
The games were held at a YMCA in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and while Barack wasn’t the original coach, that didn’t last long. Michelle revealed that the actual coaches didn’t exactly bring their A-game.
“By the second game, it was clear,” she said. That’s when Barack started “sliding down to the coach’s bench” and basically began “side-coaching.”
“Eventually he starts offering to run practice for the Vipers,” she said. “So, they come to one of the downtown gyms in the Department of Agriculture, every week they’re coaching the Vipers.” They eventually won the championship.
The Obamas tied the knot in October 1992.
