Barack Obama's big revelations about marriage woes with Michelle after White House years: ‘I was digging myself out...’

Barack Obama has acknowledged that his marriage to Michelle Obama went through a difficult period following his two terms as President of the United States.

Barack Obama opens up on marriage struggles with Michelle

Speaking at the O2 Arena in London during a conversation with historian David Olusoga, 64-year-old former president Barack Obama joked that he had been “digging [himself] out of the hole” he found himself in with his wife after leaving office. “Now I’m at about level ground,” he told the audience.

The admission echoes remarks Obama made earlier this year. In April, he told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper that he had been “in a deep deficit” with Michelle, now 61, after the demands of his presidency took their toll. “I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things,” he explained.

In May 2023, Obama reflected that life outside the White House had given him “a little more time” to spend with Michelle, whom he married in 1992 after meeting at a Chicago law firm three years earlier.

When did the divorce speculations start?

Speculation about the couple’s relationship intensified after Michelle pulled back from public life in early 2017, skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration and later the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.

At the time, sources suggested she had distanced herself from Washington life, fuelling unfounded rumours of a marital rift.

Obama has publicly dismissed such speculation, marking his wife’s birthday in January with a tribute calling her the “love of [his] life” and posting a Valentine’s Day selfie the following month. Michelle has also addressed the rumours directly, saying on the Work in Progress podcast that her decisions to step back from public appearances were about personal choice, not marital discord.

The Obamas share two daughters, Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24.