‘Was In Deep Deficit With Michelle’: Barack Obama Admits Marriage Hit Turbulence During Presidency

Last Updated:April 05, 2025, 16:48 IST

Barack Obama said that he is reconnecting with Michelle by doing “fun things” occasionally.

The Obamas, who have been married since 1992, continue to face public speculation over the state of their relationship. (IMAGE: X)

Former US President Barack Obama recently acknowledged that his two terms as US President strained his ties with his wife Michelle Obama. Speaking at an event hosted by Hamilton College, Obama said he was reconnecting with Michelle by doing “fun things" occasionally.

“I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by occasionally doing fun things," Obama told interviewer and senior journalist Jake Tapper.

Whispers of a rift between Barack and Michelle Obama have lingered for months, surfacing again after the former US President attended Jimmy Carter’s funeral alone. Michelle’s absence was also noted during Donald Trump’s inauguration, fuelling fresh speculation of a split.

Speaking at a Hamilton College event, Obama offered a rare insight into his personal life after leaving office. The 63-year-old said he’s been largely occupied with the second volume of his presidential memoir. The first part, A Promised Land, was published in 2020.

“I am finishing the second half of my presidential memoirs, which is like 50 term papers. I mean, it just goes on forever. But people ask me, ‘Do you enjoy writing?’ I say, ‘Absolutely not’. But I do enjoy having written when it’s finished," Obama said.

Barack and Michelle, who met at a law firm in the late 1980s, married in 1992. Over the years, Michelle too has spoken candidly about their struggles. In a 2022 interview, she had said there were “ten years where I couldn’t stand my husband."

Adding to the noise around their relationship was an unsubstantiated rumour linking Obama to actor Jennifer Aniston, but there has been no evidence to back that up.

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

News world ‘Was In Deep Deficit With Michelle’: Barack Obama Admits Marriage Hit Turbulence During Presidency