Rumors about an impending split between former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama ramped up again following a report last week that the former first lady had dined with the couple’s two daughters in Beverly Hills without her husband.
The Daily Mail highlighted what they described as Michelle Obama’s “gaunt” and “alarmingly thin” appearance, even though the former First Lady had recently unveiled a new, leaner look in a photo shoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.
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Without any evidence, some have speculated that Michelle Obama may have taken Ozempic or another weight-loss drug.
At the time of the Beverly Hills dinner, the former two-term Democratic president was attending a speaking engagement in Austin, Texas, according to the report.
In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Barack Obama acknowledged that there was “tension” in his marriage due to his ongoing involvement in politics during Donald Trump’s presidency.
He claimed that Trump’s presence in the White House made it challenging for him to fully step away from political activities.
“It does create genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her,” Obama said. “I’m more forgiving of it, I understand why people feel that way.”
The former president stated that Democrats and others opposed to Trump have encouraged him to adopt a larger role of opposition, but Obama has chosen not to do so, the report noted.
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“No other ex-president was the main surrogate for the party for four election cycles after they left office,” he said.
The couple has addressed splitsville rumors in the past.
Michelle Obama downplayed the divorce rumors a year ago during an episode of NPR’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin.
“Even in this phase in our lives, when Barack and I say something right or wrong, it does get covered. You know, the fact that people don’t see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumors of the end of our marriage. I mean, it’s sort of…” Michelle Obama said during a podcast episode in June.
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“It’s the apocalypse. It’s like, OK, so we don’t Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60. We’re 60, y’all. We just, you just are not gonna know what we’re doing every minute of the day, you know?” Michelle Obama added.
She also made waves with comments about how being the first lady was “confining.”
“Eight-year stint as First Lady tends to confine, to be a bit confining, right? Because, you know, the role, the job was not to just represent me, but to represent the nation. And as the first black family in that house, just like, you know, black folks feel in all the first positions that we’re the, you know, we’re carrying the torch, we’re lighting the way, which means that we’ve got to do it really, really well,” she said.
The former First Lady vacationed in Mallorca with daughters Malia and Sasha last year as well, fueling more divorce speculation.
Michelle Obama looks alarmingly thin on Beverly Hills dinner date with Malia and Sasha – as Barack’s absence fuels fresh whispers about their marriage https://t.co/gGxpDnE0zp
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) May 13, 2026
The trio was photographed dining at the Lobster Club in Puerto Portals, Calvià, but Barack was noticeably absent, as he had been at many of her recent outings.
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Barack was also absent from several other major public events in recent months, including President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Michelle tried to downplay growing rumors of marital trouble during an appearance on “The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett.”
“That’s not who we are,” she insisted. “And I know that about him. He knows that about me.” She also stressed that the couple, married for 32 years, would never “quit” on their marriage.
It should be noted that the former first lady has expressed zero interest in running for president and has repeatedly distanced herself from politics since leaving the White House.
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