Michelle Obama details 'rage' she felt towards Barack during Kenya trip before their wedding

Michelle Obama details 'rage' she felt towards Barack during Kenya trip before their wedding
Michelle Obama detailed her frustrating trip to Kenya before her wedding with Barack Obama (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former First Lady Michelle Obama has openly discussed the challenges of marriage, revealing personal experiences with her husband, former president Barack Obama.

In her memoir, 'Becoming,' she candidly shared a moment of frustration before their wedding that left her questioning their relationship.

Michelle Obama's exhausting trip to Kenya with Barack Obama

During a trip to Kenya, Michelle Obama encountered unexpected difficulties that led to exhaustion and arguments, making her wonder if she and Barack Obama had anything in common.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12:  Former U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama part
 Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama participate in the unveiling of their official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, on February 12, 2018, in Washington, DC (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) 

"Auma’s sky-blue VW was so old that it often needed to be pushed in order to get the engine into gear,” Michelle Obama wrote in her 2018 memoir.

The trip, which took place before their wedding, involved long, tiring days, and one incident left her feeling particularly upset.

Michelle had bought a new pair of white sneakers for the trip, but they quickly became stained by the reddish-brown dust of Nairobi.

She wrote, “I’d ill-advisedly bought new white sneakers to wear on the trip, and within a day, after all the pushing we did, they’d turned reddish brown, stained with the cinnamon-hued dust of Nairobi.”

Michelle Obama opens up on feeling 'rage' towards Barack Obama

As exhaustion built up, small disagreements escalated into larger arguments, leading Michelle Obama to feel intense frustration.

“For every bit of awe we felt in Kenya, we were also tired, which led to quibbling, which led finally, for whatever reason, to rage,” she wrote.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle close the Obama Foundation Summit together on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology on October 29, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The Summit is an annual event hosted by the Obama Foundation.
 Barack Obama and his wife Michelle close the Obama Foundation Summit together on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology on October 29, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois (Getty Images)

At the peak of her frustration, she even questioned their compatibility, writing in her journal, “I’m so angry at Barack. I don’t think we have anything in common,” according to the Daily Express.

Michelle Obama shares marriage counseling experience with Barack Obama

Despite the challenges she faced, Michelle Obama expressed love for her in-laws in her book and revealed that she and Barack Obama later attended marriage counseling.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the University of Pittsburgh on October 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
 Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event for Kamala Harris at the University of Pittsburgh on October 10, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

 

She shared this detail in the hope of helping young couples understand the reality of marriage.

“Young couples think that all they see of us is the fist bump and the love and I'm looking adoringly at his speeches," she said in an interview, as per Irish Star.

“And my view is that we can't be up here as role models and not be telling people the truth about life and relationships. Marriage is work. Marriage is hard," she added.



 

Michelle has not returned to Kenya since that trip, despite Barack visiting in 2006 as a senator and again in 2015 as president.

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