The Sneaky Red Flag In Michelle Obama's Latest Move Hints At Lingering Tension With Barack

Speaking candidly about her mental health, Michelle Obama hinted at lingering tensions between herself and Barack Obama. Amidst the swirling divorce rumors, Michelle has been unafraid to speak about changes she's made. "At this phase of my life, I'm in therapy right now because I'm transitioning, you know?" the former first lady said on the "On Purpose" podcast on April 28. What spurred the decision to go into therapy was that Michelle wanted to start putting herself first, after years of prioritizing Barack and their kids. "I'm 60 years old, I finished a really hard thing in life with my family intact. I'm an empty nester," she said. "And now for the first time ... every choice that I'm making is completely mine." The language she used revealed a sneaky red flag in her relationship, as she continually referenced prioritizing herself, which implied there had been unresolved issues lying beneath the surface in her marriage.

That wasn't the only time Michelle mentioned therapy as a tool to assist in improving her marriage — a topic that clearly seems to remain on her mind. The subject came up when she was on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast on May 1, and Michelle said there are too many "people quitting" on their marriages without putting in the work, such as going to therapy. "They look at me and Barack and go, '#couple goals.' And I'm like, it's hard," she said. During that same podcast appearance, Michelle downplayed rumors that she and Barack were on the outs. "If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it," she said with a laugh.

Perhaps there's no imminent divorce, but the two have been spending ample time apart.

Michelle Obama didn't just discuss prioritizing her own happiness while making the rounds as a podcast guest; she also broached the topic on her own "IMO" podcast. "I'm here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me," she said on an episode that aired April 23. Similar to what she said on other podcasts, the message was about self-care, which apparently had been neglected for years.

Not only has Michelle been focused on her own life, but Barack sparked divorce chatter by going out solo. On multiple occasions, the former POTUS spent time in California with his daughters, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama, with Michelle nowhere in sight. On April 26 — a few days after Michelle spoke about self-care on her podcast — Barack was spotted at Hamasaku, a trendy Japanese restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard, with his daughters, and without Michelle. The trio had gone out together the previous month to Anajak Thai in Los Angeles, and that was also sans Michelle.

Besides the subtle hints on podcasts and the family dinners without Michelle, there have been other red flags, such as Barack making an admission about their marriage that sparked divorce concerns. Barack intimated that there were marital woes during their time at the White House. "I did not fully appreciate, I think, as engaged of a father as I was, the degree of stress and tension for [Michelle]," he said on "CBS Mornings" in May 2023. He added that being a solid father to their daughters bought him grace with his wife. "If I pass that test, then she'll forgive me most of my other foibles."