Barack & Michelle Obama's Marriage Has Some Painfully Obvious Problems

Ever since those rampant Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston affair rumors started swirling, Barack and Michelle Obama seem to be working overtime to show a united front and quell any concerns about the state of their marriage. The political power couple even went as far as to publicly poke fun at the gossip during an episode Michelle's "IMO" podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson. "She took me back!" Barack quipped as he joined the episode. "It was touch and go for a while." Even Craig got in on the action, announcing that it was "so nice to have you both in the same room together." Michelle added, "I know because when we aren't, folks think we're divorced." And, scene!

Affair and divorce rumors aside, however, there are some painfully obvious signs that the couple has their fair share of marital woes. Let's get into it, shall we?!

During her husband's time in office as the leader of the free world, First Lady Michelle Obama remained rather tight-lipped regarding the intimate details of the couple's marriage. But that all changed once they left the White House. Since debuting her new podcast, Michelle has been letting it all out, not only on her show but on other shows as well. In May 2025, Michelle was a guest host on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast and spoke candidly about duking it out with her husband over their conflicting bedtime routines and sleeping preferences.

According to the former first lady, Barack is a "night owl," while she prefers to be in bed by 8 p.m. "I'm just so ready, you know?" she confessed about her affinity for an early bedtime. "I get so giddy," she gushed.

Alas, it's not just what time they retire that has proven to be a point of contention for Michelle and Barack. The temperature at which they prefer to sleep has also become an issue. To sleep comfortably, Michelle requires the thermostat to be set at a balmy 68 degrees Fahrenheit. And if Barack gets cold, well, she just advises him to put on some socks. She went on to joke that the former president is now "afraid of the thermostat" after a few incidents wherein she accused him of tampering with the device. "It's a battle with a partner because he's always cold, and I'm like, 'Do not touch [the thermostat].' ... Sometimes I wake up hot and I'll wake him up [to ask], 'Did you touch the thermostat? You touched it, didn't you?'" Ah yes, the good ol' thermostat wars. Hey, at least we know they're still sleeping in the same bed.

Michelle Obama has made it clear more than once that she is very much in her IDGAF era. Case in point: her notable absence at both President Jimmy Carter's funeral and President Donald Trump's inauguration in January. Alas, in June 2025, the former first lady made headlines again when she matter-of-factly revealed that she was "so glad" she and Barack Obama didn't have a son together — yet another media moment she can never erase. The comment came during an episode of the "IMO" podcast when radio personality Angie Martinez suggested that Michelle and Barack should have added a boy to their brood. Michelle, however, was adamant that having a son would not have been a good idea. "Because he would've been a Barack Obama," Michelle reasoned. "I would've felt for him." Michelle's brother, Craig Robinson, also noted that she got plenty of boy time in by way of his sons. "She always borrowed ours."

As one can imagine, many couldn't understand why Michelle wouldn't want a miniature version of her dear old hubby in their household. "So does this mean she really doesn't like Barack?" one X user asked. Meanwhile, another tweeted, "Whoa. Some passive-aggressive behavior going on here, right out in the open."

Even body language expert and behavior analyst Traci Brown, CSP, has picked up on a few telltale signs that something is amiss in Barack and Michelle Obama's marriage. According to Brown, Barack's joke on Michelle's podcast about things being "touch and go for a while" in their marriage is a major red flag. "People don't say that unless it's true," Brown told us in July. 

But that's not all. Brown noted that Michelle also gave herself away when she declared, "There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I have thought about quitting on my man. And we've had some really hard times." Brown opined that it's all about what she didn't say. "She doesn't say, 'I always wanted to stay with him.' So we know in her mind that leaving him was on the table at least a little bit," Brown explained. She also noted that while Michelle claimed she had never considered quitting on Barack, her blink rate went down, indicating that she was withholding some information. Ruh-roh.