What Malia And Sasha Obama's Life Is Like Growing Up With Famous Parents
It's not easy to grow up in the spotlight, but growing up in the White House is entirely different. Few children have had the privilege to spend their childhood inside the hallowed halls of America's house — and Malia and Sasha Obama joined the ranks in 2009 following the historic inauguration of their father Barack Obama. At the time, Malia was 10 years old and Sasha was 7, the latter being the youngest child to enter the White House since John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1961.
Malia and Sasha have lived far different lives from their peers, from Secret Service agents following them around to the prying eyes of the paparazzi. The American public has traditionally looked to our First Families as examples, from their traditions to how they embody our nation's values. With such a huge responsibility falling on Malia and Sasha at such a young age, the two sisters overcame immense amounts of pressure while building lives separate from their father's legacy.
From the White House days to now, the fresh-faced girls often seen on the sidelines of their father's speeches have transformed into women with successful careers. While their idea of normal will never exactly mirror the lives of most American kids, Michelle and Barack made it a point to ensure their daughters didn't grow up affected by the White House bubble. Eight years of enduring their father's embarrassing dad jokes have to count for something, right? We're looking at what Malia and Sasha Obama's life is like growing up with famous parents.
Malia and Sasha Obama were thrust into the spotlight at an early age
Malia and Sasha Obama had just about everything a kid could want while living at the White House, from private chefs and butlers to endless amounts of space to roam freely (as freely as the Secret Service allowed, of course). But being thrust into the American media and splashed across magazine covers at the ages of 10 and 7 is an experience that no child is truly prepared for.
Barack Obama expressed his concerns about moving his family from their home in Chicago to Washington, D.C. in an interview for People, admitting that his children weren't pleased about upending their personal lives for his presidency. "They have a wonderful life in Chicago," the former president said. "They have lifelong friends in Chicago and the prospects of having to make new friends, that's never something that kids are looking forward to."
The move did eventually work out, at least in terms of Barack finishing two consecutive presidential terms before leaving the White House for good in 2017. But Michelle has said it's unfair that her daughters weren't allowed the same privacy to make mistakes and learn from them while not under a microscope. "And when they're not allowed to do that, it's unfair, and you feel guilty about it. You know? Because they didn't choose this life," she said in an appearance on the Today show.
They endured their father's turkey pardons and dad jokes
While the President of the United States has some painstakingly difficult tasks on the agenda, one can always lighten the mood with some cheesy jokes. In Barack Obama's case, "dad jokes" became his claim to fame, much to his daughters' dismay. Barack strayed from his typical stoic and serious demeanor every year at the official White House turkey pardoning, where one lucky bird is saved from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. Ever since the 1800s, the tradition has remained strong; but it became somewhat of a chore for Malia and Sasha, who had to endure their father's quirky puns.
In 2015, Barack gave his best crack at dad jokes during the annual ceremony, telling the crowd (via Daily Mail): "It is hard to believe that this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey," adding, "Time flies, even if turkeys don't." The line earned him a laugh from Sasha, who admitted, "That was good, that was good." It's clear that the sisters' idea of a fun Thanksgiving morning doesn't involve meeting turkeys being given a free pass, and Barack admitted as much during his speech, saying, "They do this solely because it makes me feel better."
It seems Malia and Sasha withstood all the dad jokes they could handle, however, as the two sisters were noticeably absent from the 2016 turkey pardoning. "This year, they had a scheduling conflict," Barack told the crowd at the time (per Entertainment Tonight), adding, "Actually they just couldn't take my jokes anymore. They were fed up."
Michelle Obama enforced chores and attempted to give her daughters a 'normal' upbringing
Growing up with famous parents didn't exactly mean no rules for Sasha and Malia Obama. The opposite proved to be true, as Michelle Obama admitted she did everything in her power to ensure her kids wouldn't become used to a privileged lifestyle inside the White House. While the sisters may have had private chefs, a bowling alley, a giant swimming pool, a movie theater, as well as dozens of housekeepers to clean their rooms throughout their father's presidency, Malia and Sasha weren't exactly given free rein to enjoy it all.
Michelle made sure her children were sticking to a routine — which included cleaning their rooms and adhering to an 8 p.m. curfew. "That was the first thing I said to some of the staff when I did my visit," the former first lady said in an ABC News interview, (via the New York Times). "Don't make their beds. Make mine. Skip the kids. They have to learn these things." Responsibility also arrived in the form of a Portuguese waterdog named Bo, the Obama family pet that Malia and Sasha were in charge of.
Despite their father being the leader of the free world, Malia and Sasha managed to enjoy some of the same normalcy as their peers. Allowances, parent-teacher conferences (which Barack made sure to attend), as well as family dinners, were not compromised just because of their father's busy schedule. "They don't act entitled," said Obama family friend Susan Davis. "They just seem like kids."
School came first for Malia and Sasha Obama
Sasha and Malia Obama may have lived a more luxurious life while in the White House, but homework was still a part of their daily routine. Barack Obama made a point of showing his daughters the importance of their education, even taking a break from his presidential campaign run to drop Malia and Sasha off on their first day at school. While hot on the campaign trail in 2008, the former president-elect managed to give his daughters a proper send-off at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, as per CBS News. Looking less like a politician and more like an everyday dad, Barack tried to blend in a black ball cap and workout pants.
During Barack's final farewell speech in 2017, education was once again the topic of conversation when Sasha was noticeably absent from the event. After the rest of the world began tweeting up a storm about her whereabouts, CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller tweeted that she skipped the speech to study for an exam the following morning.
In addition to school, Malia and Sasha also learned the value of a dollar. Sasha snagged her first summer job at the Martha Vineyard's seafood restaurant Nancy's in 2016, where the Secret Service looked on as she worked with customers at the takeout counter, according to the Boston Herald. As for Malia, she spent multiple summers working on television sets in both Los Angeles and New York in the hopes of one day becoming a screenwriter, according to the New York Times.
Malia Obama went traveling in South America for her gap year
Malia Obama was accepted to Harvard in 2016, but America's first daughter decided to defer for a year to pursue some traveling of her own. In the summer of 2016, she jetted off to Liberia, Morocco, and Spain with her sister Sasha, Michelle, and her grandmother Marian Robinson. The trip was to raise awareness for the "Let Girls Learn" initiative, a campaign that aims to provide quality education for those without the means to do so.
Malia also did some solo traveling in South America, where she spent nearly three months traveling through Peru and Bolivia. During her trip, she stayed with a host family and practiced her Spanish, even taking a five-day hike through the Cordillera Real mountain range. "She was very humble, chatty, spoke Spanish very well," her former guide Gregorio Mamani told the New York Times. "She was mesmerized by the Bolivian landscape." Mamani also admitted there was no VIP treatment for the former president's daughter, as she did her daily chores and shared cooking duties during the trek.
After she returned home from South America, Malia started an internship at The Weinstein Company in 2017. Just months later, after multiple sexual assault allegations were lodged against him, the Obamas released a statement denouncing the disgraced producer.
Malia went out with a bang at Lollapalooza before moving into Harvard
Malia Obama might have been shaking off some nerves before pursuing higher education, at least from the looks of her dance moves at Lollapalooza in Chicago. She attended the music festival in 2017 before beginning her freshman year at Harvard and videos captured by partygoers later went viral. In one particular clip obtained by TMZ, she was caught dancing on the ground, rolling around, and pumping her fist to rock music.
Malia seems to have had a ball, as the former first daughter reportedly lost her iPhone at the event in all the excitement. "Malia came into the Apple Store to get her iPhone replaced, but things didn't go exactly [as planned]," an insider told PageSix. "The Apple Store couldn't immediately help her because she didn't have the Apple ID or the password for the missing phone, since the White House set it up."
It wasn't her first time making headlines at the infamous music festival. Malia attended Lollapalooza in 2016 and was captured on video grinding and gyrating to music along with her girlfriends, drawing criticism on social media. "The Malia Obama twerking video. Lol! Her father must be so proud. That's real Ivy League there. #classy," one viewer tweeted. Others, however, gave Malia grace for acting as many other teenagers have before her. "Breaking News: Malia Obama, a teenager out with her teenage friends, acts like a teenager. More at 11," another user tweeted.
Sasha pursued a degree in psychology
Sasha Obama was accepted into the University of Michigan, where she entered as a freshman in 2019. The decision had her straying from family tradition, as she chose to not pursue higher education at an Ivy League like her father, mother, and her sister Malia. She also decided she didn't need any extra help in making friends. According to TMZ, the former first daughter declined to participate in a sorority while in college. Sasha's time up north was cut short however, after she decided to leave Michigan behind in 2022 for the sunny California coast when she transferred to the University of Southern California, as per Daily Mail.
As noted by the Los Angeles Times, Sasha went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology from USC. Her father and mother created quite a media spectacle by joining their daughter for the graduation, where they were both spotted in the crowd clapping and cheering for the class of 2023.
Malia and Sasha Obama were at the center of a smoking controversy
Malia and Sasha Obama made headlines in 2023 for taking smoke breaks in Los Angeles. Both of the sisters were captured by paparazzi smoking cigarettes just weeks apart from each other, according to PageSix. Malia was captured chatting with a friend in a parking lot while enjoying a smoke, while Sasha was seen sharing a cigarette with friends while leaving a party on Labor Day.
It's a habit they may have picked up from their dad, as Barack Obama has admitted to smoking in the past. "I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it," he said during a 2009 press conference (per NBC News). "Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No." His children also motivated him to stop the habit, as Michelle previously admitted in an interview with iVillage (via NBC News). "I know that his ability to ultimately kick the habit was because of the girls, because they're at the age now where you can't hide," she said. "I think that he didn't want to look his girls in the eye and tell them that they shouldn't do something that he was still doing."
It's not the first time one of the Obama daughters has made headlines for smoking. Malia stirred up a buzz in 2016 when the Harvard graduate was caught smoking what appeared to be a joint at Lollapalooza, as per the New York Post.
Their dating lives have been heavily scrutinized
Growing up in the public eye isn't easy, especially when one starts dating. Malia and Sasha Obama have had to overcome their fair share of public speculation on their respective love lives, including the prying eyes of their parents. In an interview with Robin Roberts for ABC News, Michelle admitted that she and Barack have come to terms with their daughters' love lives.
"I think it's wonderful," the former first lady said about her daughters being at an age where they can explore more serious connections. "I want them to know what they want and who they are in a relationship. And that takes trying on some people." She also admitted that her husband "is good with it" as well, explaining, "Look, they are 24 and 21. They were in high school. They went to prom. They've lived life. And he's learned how to be a concerned Black father, but not crazy."
Malia was notably linked to her former Harvard classmate Rory Farquharson, whom she started dating in 2017, according to StyleCaster. She has since moved on, however, and was last spotted out with music producer Dawit Eklund in Los Angeles. The status of her relationship is unknown, as she was also seen out and about with rapper Animé in 2023. As for Sasha, she reportedly started dating actor Clifton Powell's son, Clifton Powell Jr., in 2022.
They are proud of their mother's decision to write a biography
Michelle Obama has undoubtedly been one of the country's favorite first ladies. From her down-to-earth personality to her warm and kind attitude towards the public, millions of Americans have gravitated towards her ever since Barack took office in 2009. Her years of heading the East Wing led to several accomplishments, many of which she wrote about in her New York Times best-selling memoir, "Becoming. "
Her daughters Malia and Sasha made a rare appearance in the Netflix documentary "Becoming," dishing on just how proud they were of their mother for her endeavor. "I'm excited for her to be proud of what she's done," said Sasha (per Entertainment Tonight). "Cause I think that's the most important thing for a human to do, to be proud of themselves." Malia seconded that notion, saying, "No longer facing that same scrutiny, being able to let all of that leave your mind — creates so much more space."
Malia Obama is pursuing a career as a Hollywood writer
Malia Obama left Washington, D.C. for Los Angeles in the summer of 2015, in the hopes of furthering her film writing career. Malia began an internship with HBO and later spent some time working on the set of the drama series "Girls," where she worked as a writer's assistant in training. Show creator Lena Durham admitted on the Howard Stern Show that Malia went above and beyond while interning, saying, "Obviously, we weren't making her go get our coffee ... but she wanted to do all the jobs, that was the cool thing."
After interning with HBO, and later working on the set of Halle Berry's "Extent," Malia put her experience to good use by working with Emmy Award-winning actor and director Donald Glover. The former first daughter earned herself writing credits for the Amazon Prime Video show "Swarm" created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. The episode "Girl, Bye" which Malia co-wrote alongside Nabers, is thought to be one of the most jaw-dropping episodes in the series. "She's an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table ... She's really, really dedicated to her craft," Nabers told InStyle.
Glover hired Malia yet again in 2023 to create a short film for his production company Gilga. In an interview with GQ he admitted: "The first thing we did was talk about the fact that she will only get to do this once. You're Obama's daughter. So if you make a bad film, it will follow you around," he said.
Malia and Sasha Obama share a home together in Los Angeles
Sasha and Malia Obama may have gone their separate ways in college, but the two reunited to pursue their dreams together in Los Angeles. Per PageSix, the sisters decided to live together after Sasha graduated from USC and Malia had been working in Los Angeles in the film industry. In an interview with Today, Michelle dished on her daughter's moving in together, admitting that she and her husband visited the pair to christen their humble abode. Malia and Sasha prepared a charcuterie board and martinis for their parents to celebrate the occasion.
"The martinis were a little weak," the former first lady joked. She went on to add that Malia and Sasha even insisted their parents use a coaster, something that they were constantly reminded to do by their mother years earlier. "Now when it's your stuff you want to take care of it?" she joked. Jokes aside, Michelle admitted it's rewarding to see her children be so close. "The thing I love the most is that those two girls are each others' best friends ... and there was a period of time when they couldn't stand each other," she revealed.
Salia and Malia have been getting used to their new lives in Los Angeles with the help of Drake, who invited the pair to his after-party in 2023 at the Birds Street Club, as per PageSix. The sisters traded the buttoned-up J.Crew dresses from their days in the White House for club outfits with midriff-baring tops.