July 16, 2025 — Former President Barack Obama and former First Girl Michelle Obama addressed persistent divorce rumors with humor and candor throughout a latest episode of Michelle’s podcast, IMO, co-hosted together with her brother, Craig Robinson. The episode, launched on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, marked their first joint public feedback on the hypothesis surrounding their 32-year marriage.
The lighthearted trade started when Robinson teased, “Wait, you guys like one another?” prompting Michelle to reply, “Oh yeah, the rumor mill.” Barack joined in, joking, “She took me again! It was contact and go for some time.” The trio laughed as Robinson famous, “It’s so good to have you ever each in the identical room collectively,” to which Michelle quipped, “I do know, ‘trigger once we aren’t, of us suppose we’re divorced.”
The rumors gained traction earlier this yr when Michelle was absent from a number of public occasions, together with President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 and former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Michelle beforehand addressed the hypothesis on different platforms, explaining that her diminished public appearances had been a private option to prioritize her personal schedule as a personal citizen. “There hasn’t been one second in our marriage the place I considered quitting on my man,” she stated throughout the podcast, emphasizing their dedication regardless of “actually arduous occasions.”
Barack admitted he usually learns of the rumors secondhand, saying, “I don’t even know these things’s occurring, after which anyone will point out it to me, and I’m like, ‘What are you speaking about?’” Michelle added that the hypothesis usually stems from her being much less seen alongside her husband, a alternative she attributes to her newfound freedom as an empty nester. “I’ve turn into a greater particular person due to the person I’m married to,” she stated, a sentiment that visibly moved Barack, who responded, “Okay, don’t make me cry now.”
The couple, married since 1992 and oldsters to daughters Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24, used the podcast to reaffirm their bond. The episode additionally touched on lighter matters, together with their experiences elevating emotionally clever younger ladies and navigating public life. The Obamas’ humorous dismissal of the rumors underscored their resilience within the face of ongoing media scrutiny.
The IMO podcast episode is out there on YouTube and different streaming platforms, providing listeners a glimpse into the Obamas’ dynamic and their strategy to addressing private hypothesis with levity and unity.