Michelle Obama, Barack Obama Divorce Rumours: Ex-FLOTUS Jokingly Says ‘It Was Touch and Go for a While’

The Obamas celebrate 34 years of marriage after public appearances fuelled online divorce rumours about the couple Michelle Obama/ X Michelle Obama and Barack Obama marked their 34th wedding anniversary on Saturday, 3 October, with affectionate Instagram posts amid divorce rumours surrounding the couple. Michelle also appeared to address the speculation with humour in a July 2025 podcast exchange, in which Barack joked that their marriage had been ‘touch and go for a while.’

Michelle, 62, shared a carousel of photographs and videos spanning the couple’s relationship. The post included images from their 1992 wedding, Barack’s presidency, family moments and more recent appearances. Set to Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song As, it carried a message for the former US president.

‘Loving you just keeps getting better and better! Happy anniversary, @BarackObama. Here’s to many, many more years of joy, laughter, and memories to come,’ Michelle wrote.

Barack, 65, posted a photograph of the couple embracing. He captioned it, ‘Happy anniversary, @MichelleObama! I’m still the luckiest guy in the world to be with you.’

Loving you just keeps getting better and better! Happy anniversary, @BarackObama. Here’s to many, many more years of joy, laughter, and memories to come. 💕 pic.twitter.com/JLSPveIr6H

The anniversary messages followed renewed public interest in divorce rumours surrounding the couple. Speculation intensified after Michelle did not attend former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on 9 January 2025 or Donald Trump’s second inauguration on 20 January 2025, while Barack attended both events.

Michelle’s spokesperson confirmed that she would not attend Carter’s funeral and sent condolences to his family. Reports later said she was in Hawaii on an extended vacation because of a scheduling conflict.

It was reported on 15 January 2025 that Michelle’s decision not to attend Trump’s inauguration was deliberate. That characterisation came from the unnamed source and was not independently established as an explanation for the couple’s personal circumstances.

Neither Michelle nor Barack announced a separation. Their absence from the same public events did not establish that their marriage was ending.

The couple addressed the speculation during an episode of Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson’s podcast, IMO, released on 16 July 2025. Michelle introduced Barack as a ‘very, very, very special guest,’ prompting Robinson to ask, ‘Wait, you guys like each other?’

Robinson referred to the ‘rumour mill’ surrounding the couple. Barack replied, ‘She took me back! It was touch and go for a while.’

Michelle responded, ‘Now, don’t start.’ She later said it was ‘nice to [be] in the same room’ and added that ‘when we aren’t, folks think we’re divorced.’ She also said there had not been a moment when she considered ‘quitting’ on her husband.

The exchange showed how the Obamas have chosen to address the speculation with humour. It did not amount to a confirmation of marital problems or a genuine admission that the couple had been considering divorce.

Michelle has previously spoken publicly about the difficulties of marriage, including the pressures of raising children while managing demanding careers. She has also discussed attending marriage counselling and therapy with Barack.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Michelle described Barack as her ‘ballast’ and explained why she believed their marriage had endured its ‘ups and downs.’

‘However hard it’s been, the ups and the downs, he’s got me. He’s like, ‘Try new things. Go leap.’ I can do a lot of these things because I know if I slip or fall or trip, he’s got me,’ she said.

Her comments acknowledge that the relationship has faced difficult periods, but they do not support claims that the couple have confirmed plans to divorce. That distinction is important when public appearances are used to speculate about a private marriage.

Happy birthday, @BarackObama! 65 never looked better. Every day, you make me a better person, and I’m thankful for all the ways you show up for our family and our country. Love you. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DpqVKJiqyz

Michelle also wished Barack a happy 65th birthday on 4 August 2026. ’65 never looked better,’ she wrote, adding that he had made her a better person and continued to show up for their family and country.

The couple met in 1989 while working at Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin. According to the Obama Foundation, Barack was completing a summer internship when Michelle Robinson was assigned as his adviser. Their first date included a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago.

They married on 3 October 1992 at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago. Their daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha, known as Sasha, were born in 1998 and 2001 respectively. Barack was elected president in 2008 and inaugurated in January 2009, placing the family under intense public scrutiny.

For now, the anniversary posts and podcast exchange show the couple publicly presenting their marriage as intact. The rumours may continue online, but neither the podcast exchange nor their separate appearances at public events establishes that they are separating. No separation or divorce has been publicly confirmed.