Former first lady Michelle Obama spilled the beans on why she skipped President Donald Trump’s second inauguration ceremony.
Obama was criticized for not attending the inauguration. Some even suggested this indicated that she and former President Barack Obama, who did attend the inauguration, were getting a divorce.
During a segment on her podcast with guest Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Obama said, “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.”
It's like, while I'm here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me, and it took everything in my power to not do the thing that was right or that was perceived as right, but do the thing that was right for me. That was a hard thing for me to do.
Henson agreed, saying Michelle became a “shock absorber” for her husband.
And that's what women are, shock absorbers. And that's exhausting. And it's not healthy. It is not healthy. You've had to be shock absorbers for your husband, for your children, for your mom, for your family, your loved ones, because of where you were sitting in the public eye. That's not fair to you. When do you ever get to live for you? I applaud you. I'm happy that you are taking care of yourself in the way that you need to.
Michelle Obama breaks her silence on skipping Trump’s inauguration and how people assumed there were issues in her marriage because she wasn’t there
— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 23, 2025
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Obama also did not attend former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, which also fueled divorce rumors. However, she recently addressed the speculation.
Speaking on the “Work in Progress” podcast hosted by Sophia Bush, Obama addressed the divorce claims head on.
"The interesting thing is that when I say 'no,' for the most part, people are like, 'I get it' and I'm OK," she began. "That's the thing that we, as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people, you know?"
She continued, "So much so that this year people were -- they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing."
Obama said now that her children are grown up and her husband is out of public office, she has more flexibility with her schedule, but the way she's chosen to spend her time doesn't always align with what people expect.
“That’s what society does to us. We start actually finally going, What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?’ And if it doesn’t fit into the stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible," she said.
Her comments are not surprising given that Michelle Obama has always indicated that she doesn’t enjoy participating in politics. Her name has often been floated as a potential presidential candidate, an idea she has repeatedly rejected.
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