Obama Fever: 8 celebrities who confessed to having a major crush on the former POTUS

8 celebs who have admitted to having a crush on former President Barack Obama

No matter your political affiliation, it's widely acknowledged that former President Barack Obama is undeniably handsome. The 44th President of the United States won over the nation with his charismatic smile and gained further admiration when he sang a line from Al Green's hit ‘Let's Stay Together’ in 2012. It's not just regular people who openly confessed about crushing on Obama; celebrities, including Emily Blunt, have expressed admiration for the ex-president. During an appearance on 'The Tonight Show', the actress shared an encounter where Obama complimented her. "I went to shake his hand, and he turned to me, and he put his hand on top of mine, and he went, 'I love you. I love what you do.' He was like, 'I've seen all of your work.' And I started to laugh hysterically in his face," recounted Blunt, adding, "I don't know what happened. I've never fallen to pieces like that in front of anyone." For the acclaimed 'A Quiet Place' star to fall apart over former President Obama says a lot about his appeal, and he has unsurprisingly stolen the hearts of several other celebs as mentioned below.

1. Scarlett Johansson once joked about being engaged to Barack Obama

Scarlett Johansson was an ardent supporter of Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. In 2008, according to Politico, the 'Her' actor humorously claimed, "I am engaged to Barack Obama. My heart belongs to Barack." Johansson mentioned having regular email communications with the then-senator. She said, "You'd imagine that someone like the senator who is constantly traveling and constantly 'on' — how can he return these personal e-mails? But he does, and in his off-time, I know he also calls people who have donated the minimum to thank them." Johansson added, "I feel like I'm supporting someone, and having a personal dialogue with them, and it's amazing." However, Obama later downplayed his interaction with Johansson, as per New York Intelligencer. "She sent one e-mail to Reggie [Love], who forwarded it to me. I write saying, 'Thank you Scarlett for doing what you do,' and suddenly we have this e-mail 'relationship,'" claimed Obama. While Johansson was embarrassed by Obama's comment, she continued to support the politician, especially during his run for the White House. When asked about his election victory on 'Today', the 'Under The Skin' actress said, "I'm absolutely over the moon. ... If I'm invited to the inaugural party, I'll be there in a giant gown with the Obama family silk-screened on it."

2. Jenna Ortega's first crush was Barack Obama

Jenna Ortega once gushed over her admiration for former President Barack Obama. In an interview with Elle, she revealed that she was so captivated by him as a child that she aspired to become the first female president of the United States. "I had phases where I clung to something and then made it my entire personality," explained Ortega, adding, "To this day, I'm still obsessed with Obama." The ‘Scream’ star was around six or seven years old when she found Obama charming, but that didn't stop her from having a crush on him. "When I was younger, Barack Obama was my first crush. I was obsessed with him. I watched the inauguration with goo-goo eyes on my face," confessed Ortega on the ‘20 Questions: Deadline’ podcast. The actress claimed that she wrote letters to Obama and Oprah Winfrey, who she knew was friends with the former POTUS, imploring her to introduce them. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition as Obama didn't respond to her fervent letters. 

3. Gwyneth Paltrow once became tongue-tied around Barack Obama

In 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at her California home, with Barack Obama as the main speaker. BuzzFeed News reported that before Obama took the stage, the ‘Shakespeare in Love’ actress expressed her admiration for him, saying, "I am one of your biggest fans if not the biggest," and then stumbled over her words, telling the then-president, "You're so handsome that I can't speak properly." She had previously shown support for Obama in 2012 by co-hosting a lavish fundraiser for his reelection bid in London. Paltrow hosted the event alongside Cameron Diaz, Anna Wintour, and Tom Ford. While it's unclear whether Obama was present at the event, tickets for the fundraiser cost over $100,000 each, indicating that Paltrow wasn't the only enthusiastic big-name supporter of the Democrat statesman.

4. Kirsten Dunst admitted to having a 'real crush' on Barack Obama

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Kirsten Dunst confessed to having a serious crush on the then-Democratic presidential candidate. She said, "He's so dashing, and I love that he lays it all on the table... I think he's everything you'd want a president to be."

5. Matthew Perry had a 'man crush' on Barack Obama

Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry’s character from the hit TV show 'Friends' is known for being difficult to impress, but the actor admitted having a "man crush" on former President Barack Obama upon joining Instagram. The late actor shared an old photo of himself and Obama with the hashtag "#mancrushmonday" and wrote, "Yes, that is @barackobama, and yes, he is laughing at s**t that just came out of my mouth." Perry's long-time 'Friends' co-star (and on-screen romantic interest) Courteney Cox commented on the post, saying, "Of course he is!!!"

6. Azealia Banks once gushed over Barack Obama's handsome features

Rapper Azealia Banks expressed her admiration for Barack Obama, saying she has a major crush on him. In an interview with Billboard magazine, the 33-year-old gushed about Obama's appearance, saying, "He's so fine. Those big white teeth and ears hanging off his head?" She also shared her idea of a perfect man, noting, "I love security guards. They're these big meathead bald white guys with blue eyes. I want a really smart man, who has a lot of silly jokes and stuff.” However, Banks added, "I have to tone it down if I want to get that."

7. Khloe Kardashian wanted to marry Barack Obama

Khloe Kardashian got the opportunity to meet her celebrity crush when she shook hands with then-President Barack Obama at a 2010 event honoring the LA Lakers. She accompanied her then-husband Lamar Odom and later shared her experience on her blog, writing, "I was lucky enough to tag along LOL. Never did I EVER think I would be in the same room as the president, let alone get to shake his hand." She added, "I was pretty nervous but I think I held it together pretty well. President Obama was so sweet and charming ... I might have had a slight crush on him LOL!!" In a later interview, Kardashian reiterated her admiration for Obama and playfully discussed whom she would sleep with, marry, and put in the friend zone out of Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W Bush. On her website, she jokingly commented, "Firstly, I just need to friend-zone George, LOL! I'd marry Obama, for sure. And I guess that means I do it with Bill!!!"

8. Towanda Braxton once confessed she thought Barack Obama smelled amazing

After her separation from Andre Carter in 2014, Towanda Braxton was on the lookout for potential suitors, and she seems to have been enamored with Barack Obama. She humorously mentioned her admiration for him to Bossip, saying, "When a woman tells you she's separated, it's true. Not the same with a man. My mom says the only man who doesn't cheat is President Obama." Despite her lack of qualifications, she joked about wanting to be Obama's advisor, specifically referring to Olivia Pope from 'Scandal'. "I would be Olivia Pope for Obama. There's a lot of women who would be. But I just know that I can't because first of all my mama would beat me and second, Michelle ... You know what I'm saying," quipped Braxton. During an interview with TMZ, the 'Braxton Family Values' star remarked, "Have you ever smelled that man? He smells amazing." She claimed to have been near him on several occasions, which allowed her to catch a whiff of his cologne. She added, "All the times that I smelled him, he just smelled amazing, and I want to keep smelling him. I want to lick his face."