Former President Barack Obama shocked Americans by admitting that his marriage with former First Lady Michelle Obama is in a tough spot amid rumors that the pair is getting divorced.
During a conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper, Obama admitted that his marriage had seen better days. Obama confessed that he was in a "deep deficit" with his wife, in a nod to the toll that his extensive political career took on his personal life.
According to The Daily Beast, Obama told Tepper, "I was in a deep deficit with my wife. So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
Obama was President of the United States from 2008 to 2016, and even since leaving the White House, Obama has been leading the Democrat Party from behind the scenes.
Despite being less publically facing and with lighter duties since his days as president, Barack Obama's marriage has been the subject of intense speculation.
Rumors of the Obamas splitting began at the memorial of former President Jimmy Carter in December.
Barack Obama attended the memorial alongside many of the nation's most prominent figures, including President Donald Trump and former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.
While Trump, Bush, and Clinton all attended the memorial with their wives, Obama was noticeably on his own. Michelle Obama isn't a reclusive figure, so her absence from the event was immediately noticed by observers.
The rumors only strengthened when Michelle Obama also declined to attend President Trump's inauguration just over a month after Carter's memorial.
While Barack Obama attended Trump's inauguration, his wife was once again absent. This was the final nail in the coffin, launching the divorce rumors from a far-fetched conspiracy to the biggest story in Hollywood and American politics.
Of course, the Obamas' relationship has been heavily scrutinized over the years. Back in 2023, Barack Obama gave an interview saying, "Let me just say this: It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her," while speaking about the struggles of balancing presidential duties and family duties.
Michelle Obama has kept her cards close to her chest by choosing to address the rumors in a minimalist and dismissive manner in order to downplay the rumors without inflaming them.
In her podcast that she hosts with her brother, Michelle Obama talked at length about “negative energy” and misinformation impacting public figures. This could easily be interpreted as Michelle Obama taking a shot at those spreading rumors about her marriage with Barack Obama.
It's entirely possible that rumors of divorce are completely inaccurate, but it's also likely that something is going on behind the scenes. Michelle Obama's absence from two significant public events wasn't without reason.
With Obama's confession that things have gotten rough in the marriage, it is possible that there is a quiet divorce going on behind the scenes. However, Americans will simply have to wait and see what happens in the coming months.
